Hey Hun, Should We Go Anywhere? Nah, Let's Just Chill...

Woke up early this morning to head north to NC, but changed our minds and decided to just chill. :-) Here are some miscellaneous photos.

Missy & Dave, the Photo Bomber

Self Portrait of Dave With Sasha

Osprey Marina, Rock Pile, Little River SC

After leaving Georgetown Wednesday, we arrived at Osprey Marina at noon and fueled up before moving into our slip. You don't find $3.65 gallon very often...Yeah we'll take it! Osprey Marina named after the many Ospreys in the area (especially now during mating season), offers a quiet protected harborage in a private deep water channel. Folks here are real friendly and give you a great gift bag!

First Mate Fueling

Osprey Marina

This one's for You Carol! 

That afternoon we met Flint & Leslie, who had completed the loop in 2011 on their 40' Present Sundeck Trawler. Since they so enjoy boating they decided to downsize and continue traveling on their 26' "C-Dory" cruiser called "Grace Full". Later that evening we joined Flint, Leslie, Mark & Laura on the marina porch for "docktails".

Flint & Leslie Passing On Their C-Dory

Early morning Thursday we left Osprey and headed through the Rock Pile area on to North Myrtle Beach until finally settling in Little River, SC at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club Marina. Flint & Leslie passed us up along the way. Rock Pile is a 15 mile stretch in the ICW that was formed by blasting through solid rock to connect areas of the ICW. The intracoastal here is surrounded by many rocks and keeping a constant watch to stay mid-channel is crucial.                    




Myrtle Beach Yacht Club offered a great place to pick up necessary provisions. Friday late afternoon we hooked up with our dear friend Leviolet from NC, who came to the boat with other friends Paula, Pat & Bill. We walked over to Clark's Seafood & Chophouse for dinner. After dinner the ladies just had to pop in the cute little shop next door, "Sea Island Trading Company". Ron & Bill reluctantly followed us in. :-)   Paula, Leviolet and Kathrin purchased very pretty ankle bracelets. This was a big deal for Paula since it was her very first anklet ever. So we just had to have a kodak moment in her honor!!!

Kathrin & Leviolet

You Can Always Find Us With Our Kayaks

Sweet Friends

Captain Ron is a Lucky Dog

Whose Sexy Legs are Those???

Pat, Paula, Leviolet & Bill

Moving on to Georgetown, SC

On The Road Again

Last night we relaxed at McClellanville with a nice sunset over the shrimping village. Many dolphins came into the marina for their evening meal.
This morning we awoke at 6:00 and shortly there after found an interesting visitor outside our window! A gator was still asleep and the tide was moving him backwards. When I stepped out on the deck to take a closer look he woke up and dove back down. It was a quiet misty morning as we pulled away at 7:00.
Three and half hours later we arrived at Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown, SC. We walked downtown for a grouper sandwich and then visited the Maritime Museum and the Rice Plantation Museum. In 1750 Georgetown became the center of rice production in the colony. By 1840 Georgetown produced nearly one-half of the total rice crop in the United States.
This is a great little town with a harbor walk by the water and lots of shops & restaurants, all within walking distance. Highly recommend the "The Old Fish House" restaurant aka Big Tuna. Great atmosphere and good food!

Seagulls Feeding on Fish Stirred Up By Our Wake

Sunset Over Small Shrimping Town

This One's For You... Marta, Oscar & Nick!

Ahh...water lapping, birds singing & sun

Rice Museum - Five Fathom Creek Boat

GeorgeTown

Georgetown

 Great Grouper At Old Fish House

Old Fish House

Yikes... We're Aground!!!

We left at 7:00 am this morning from Charleston at high tide. By the time we got to the vicinity of McClellanville, all that was gone. As we passed marker G37 the ground suddenly came up and met us. Yikes we're aground! Captain Ron kept us from total disaster by turning the rudders and powering us off. Boy, we sure kicked up a whole bunch of mud. After dealing with biting black horseflies for five hours and a near hard grounding we decided to pull into the nearest marina. So here we are at Leland Oil Co Marina, a small shrimping town in McClellanville, SC. We will calm our nerves, grill up salmon and veges and head out tomorrow.

Charleston, SC

After leaving Church Creek anchorage in SC we had a short trip to Charleston. We arrived at the Harborage at Ashley Marina mid morning Thursday 5/22. It is a very convenient place to many downtown areas as well as a short cab ride to West Marine and walking distance to the City Marina.
A few days earlier I had reached out to the harbor hosts in Charleston. Jenny & Jerry Reeves live in Charleston and they have completed the loop. They were very kind and loaned us the use of their truck. Ron and I went grocery shopping and then stopped at West Marine for boat supplies. After dropping everything back at the boat we drove to Patriot's Point, where the USS Clamagore submarine, the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier and the USS Laffey destroyer reside. Ron was sad to see the old girl Clamagore in such a deteriorated condition. After an afternoon of touring we returned to the boat, showered and changed for dinner. We dropped off the truck at the Reeve's residence and walked a few blocks to dinner at Hominy Grill, a Charleston institution, were we enjoyed a classic low country dinner. We enjoyed our after dinner evening walk back to the marina.
Friday Ron worked in the engine room adjusting the packing in both shaft logs. Kathrin decided a good walk was in order and went to the Piccolo Spoleto Art Show. Fabulous! I so enjoyed meeting Delores Newson, a South Carolina Sweet Grass and Pine Coil basket weaver. She uses sweet grass, rush, palmetto fronds and pine needles to weave her baskets, a craft passed down from her ancestors that she learned at the age of six. Some of the baskets have pottery incorporated into them as well. After purchasing a basket and a funky copper bracelet I walked back to the marina. After a day of 6 mile walking it was time for a cold beer on the sundeck! :-)
Saturday the Molimock Family came for a visit! My good longtime friends from New Jersey, sold their house and were on their way down to their new home in St. Augustine, Florida.
Frankie, my godson, was driving the truck with their dog Lilly, pulling the boat trailer and Diana & Frank drove the car packed like the "Clampett's". They pulled into the marina around 12:00. We walked over to the City Marina for lunch. It was so great to see them! The only thing that would have made it better was if Tara, their daughter, was with us. We miss you Tara. :-(
Half an hour later after the Molimock's left our friend's George & Mary from "Beach Quest" called us and said they were at Salty Mike's at City Marina. We joined them for "docktails" at the pub. It is always fun to meet up with old cruising friends. Hope to see them again soon somewhere along the way!

The Clamagore

In the Crews Mess on the Clamagore

Ahh... Fun Memories

At Home in the Engine Room

Sweet Lilly

USS Yorktown

Frankie, Diana, Frank

Old Friends!

Interesting Boat Name :-)

Lady's Island Marina & On The Hook at Church Creek SC

We stayed at Lady's Island Marina, an off the beaten path cozy marina and only $1.25 ft :-)

There were a few liveaboards and a beautiful Heritage East 44, that Ron drooled over. We needed some canvas and zipper repair and they put us in touch with Adam who has a shop just outside the marina entrance. Excellent guy who fixed us up the next day. It was nice grabbing the loaner bikes and picking up some needed items at the hardware store. Feeling extremely content I treated myself to a pedicure up the street! Ron on the other hand toiled away in the engine room. 

After two nights we pulled our lines in at 6:45 am this morning and headed north to an anchorage near Charleston. What a passage we had ahead of us!!!! As we approached the cutoff between two rivers at Ashepoo Coosaw we noticed a sailboat in front of us turning away from entering the cutoff. They announced on the radio to a following sailboat in the vicinity that they were concerned about depth 5ft and were turning away from entering. 

We announced to them both that we would attempt an entrance to the cutoff and advise them of the depths we noted. As we proceeded slowly, suddenly the depth on the chart plotter went from 6-7 ft to 2-3 ft, way too shallow for us. Captain Ron put the engines in reverse and put throttles to all back flank!

This was as close as we have ever come to a full grounding and hope to never again!!! Yikes. We backed up to turn around. So all three vessels conferred and decided to find another option. Although we considered dropping the hook and waiting a few hours for the tides to change, an alternate route was discovered that would bypass this cutoff. 

The sailboat "Not So Interim" decided to head offshore and hauled up their sails. "Pegasus" the other sailboat decided to follow us into the Ashepoo River and through the Fenwick Cut rejoining the ICW. Although the Fenwick Cut was a little shallow (5-6 ft), we both made it. Yay! 

Back on the ICW Captain Ron powered forward to our anchorage for the night at Church Creek. A good 7 hour trip, all is in order and we are enjoying a cold brewsky. :-)  Anchored here with "Pegasus". 

Sunset at Lady's Island Marina

Pegasus Anchored Near By

A Most Majestic Bird

In Savannah, GA

Saturday morning after Captain Ron replaced the fuel filters, we left Sunbury and headed north to Savannah, GA. After researching the anchorages and many marinas available we decided on Thunderbolt Marina. One of the key criteria for this important decision was the fact that the dock master delivers fresh warm Krispy Kreme donuts to your boat at 6:30 am. I mean that's a no-brainer!!!  :-)

Thunderbolt turned out to be a really nice marina with great showers, laundry and a 10 minute cab ride to downtown Savannah. After we docked Ron washed the decks and I did laundry. I took a very needed 2 mile walk to Whole Foods and caught a cab back with the fresh groceries. Saturday evening we walked down the street to Tubby's Restaurant for god grub and some Blues. The tuna tar-tar was awesome followed by fish tacos and mahi-mahi. The "Georgia Kyle" band was fantastic! Kyle, Russell & Tony played some of the best blues we have ever heard. Kyle, the lead guitarist and singer is a legend in Savannah. I have attached a pic of him playing a cigar box guitar. We got to talk to him and Russell the drummer quite at length. They were awesome and really lifted our spirits!

Ron made friends with the bar kitty. (most likely do to the fact that he shared his fish taco with him) He reminded us a lot of Sasha and we named him Tubby.

What made things even better was seeing "Summertime" pull into the marina and tie up right in front of us. We got to know each other better over "dock-tails" on their Krogen and then hopped a cab ride together to our favorite restaurant in Savannah, "The Six Pence Pub", a grand old English Pub.

A 1938 Trumpy 61' out of Miami bound for Nantucket pulled in behind us at the Thunderbolt Marina. What a beautiful wooden classic!!! The "Sea Taby" was maned by Andrew the Captain and Doug the First Mate and historic wood worker. Since Ron helped them tie up he got a tour of the boat. Ron just kept saying awesome... unbelievable... Lucky Ron :-)

Since we had been to Savannah before and did the historical tours and walks, we opted to pass on that this trip and leave early the next morning. Monday morning during a cold slightly drizzly start we enjoyed hot coffee and a warm donut. Marcy & Walt helped us with the lines and we were off. Adieu... until we meet again!

A Lovely Site on the Deck

Captain Ron is Happy

How the Other Half Cruise

Georgia Kyle Band

O..oh, Look Who is Coming Back

Hey Ron You got More Fish Taco?

Kyle Playing Cigar Box Guitar

1938 Trumpy 61'

Walt, Ron, Kathrin, Darcy at Six Pence

   

Sunbury Crab Company GA

Three words come to mind about Sunbury Crab Co... eclectic, rustic and somewhat overstated in the cruising guide! Ignoring the fact that their laundry, showers and pool were not working... it is a laid back and quiet photographers dream. After a long trip in very windy, ruff and skinny seas, Ron and I went out for dinner. (yummy fried oysters and steamed shrimp with homemade coleslaw and fries) Toasted our 1000 mile crossing!!! :-) Enjoyed a glass of red wine after dinner with Linda & Steve aboard their "Rose Marie".
We met new loopers today on the "Summertime" Krogen Manatee. Perhaps our paths will cross again since they are traveling to Wilmington, NC.

A Short Walk to Dinner

Sunbury Crab Co

Befriended Loopers Walt & Darcy

Darcy Took Our Picture

Morning Chumming!

Cool Cat

Sunbury Crab Co

Ahh, Finally Resting

Commercial Shrimp Boat