Topsail Beach to Morehead City and on to Oriental

5/2/10 We left Harbor Village in the morning with winds forecast to be strong. The route was protected until Bogue Sound. On our way to Bogue Sound we had to travel the ICW past Camp Lejeune where the marines have a training base. They are large signs and if they are practicing shooting, they will have boats on the ICW to stop all boat traffic - sometimes for hours - as they train. They actually shoot across the ICW into targets. Luckily they must have had Sunday off and we had no issues. Bogue is a large sound with some protection, we had small rollers but not bad at all. We stayed on the north side of Morehead City in the Morehead City Yacht Basis, full protected from the strong SW winds, no current and right next to Floyd's Restaurant where we enjoyed our 35th Anniversary. Morehead is a small quaint area with many charter sport fishing boats and commercial traffic.

The next morning we left around 6:30 a.m. trying to make our way to Oriental before the winds built too much. We were in protected waters until the Neuse River which had strong winds against a strong current and a rolling chopping sea. It was not an issue for our tug but a nasty crossing. We arrived in Oriental around 10 am and got settled in our dock. John had to dock the boat sideways to 25 knots of wind and did a fabulous job. Oriental is a beautiful little village with great restaurants, gift shops, art, crafts and fresh seafood! The Marina Inn has a restaurant, pool and right downtown...with great folks to greet you.

Southport to Topsail Beach

We left Southport around 7 a.m. with slack tide and began our trek up the Cape Fear River. We only met one large barge and tug and traveled past the large Ammunition Terminal. Cape Fear was kind with flat seas and a current going with us. The winds were forecast to be 20+ so we decided to have a short day to Topsail Beach area and stayed at a small marina, Harbor Village. It is amazing that 17 years ago when we brought our sailboat down the intercoastal, we are retracing our route staying at the same exact marinas as then. Only, the marinas are more modern with much better docks and facilities. We enjoyed a quite night at the dock in this protected harbor while the wind blew all night!

Myrtle Beach to Southport

And on to Southport and a visit to Bald Head Island. We left Myrtle Beach with calm seas at 7:45 a.m. We had to make the top of the hour opening of the Sunset Pontoon Bridge at 10 a.m. and made it just on time! The trip north from here had many shallow areas and pass by two inlets, Lockwoods Folly and Shallotte River Inlet, notorious for shallow areas. Strong currents near the Lockwoods Folly inlet affected the intercoastal waterway for several miles. Fortunately no problems- John just gave more power to the wee tug engine and we continued on our journey. We arrived in Southport around mid day and enjoyed cocktails with other boaters we've met along the way and topped it off with a great steak dinnner on board. The next day we took a ferry out to Bald Head Island. Bald Head has alot of history and very expensive homes. On the way out on the Ferry we met Col. Mark Hagan, the Commander of the Military Munitions Terminal in Southport. He explained that when we left we would be passing his terminal which is the largest Ammunition Depot/Terminal for the Armed Forces in the World. He gave us his card in case 'any of his guys' gave us any trouble. You can imagine there are security boats everywhere keeping a great distance between them and other travellers. He was kind enough to take a photo of us at the ferry. At Bald Head we rented a golf cart and travelled around the island to see homes, Old Baldy, their historic lighthouse, and of course a nice lunch! That night we visited the locals restaurant "Yacht Basin Provision Co." (last photo)and enjoyed a Low Country Boil. This is the south's version of our clam bakes, which includes, shrimp, corn on the cob, Andouille sausage, and potatoes. Back to WinterHawk to ready for the next day's voyage....

Charleston to Myrtle Beach

We left Charleston with calm winds and little current in the marina and begain our trek North. Charleston Harbor was calm as we proceeded out a secondary channel to avoid a hugh tanker coming into port. We passed Ft. Sumpter and then took a left into the ICW to pass through a narrow shallow area along the Isle of Palms. We arrived in Georgetown around 3 p.m., took on fuel and settled down to a great dinner. Georgetown is a lovely small restored town with a harbor full of anchored boats and commercial shrimp boats. The sunset photo was a must! The next day, April 23, we left early for Myrtle Beach and our American Great Loop Rendezvous. We then traveld up the Wacama River, a beutiful natural river with birds chirping and ospreys and eagles flying overhead. The trip brought us through many man-made cuts lined with houses on both sides for most of the trip. We arrived in Myrtle Beach Barefoot Landing at the Grand Strand Resort around 2 p.m. We tied up and settled down for a five day stay as we attended seminars about the Great Loop. We again met many of the folks that we have been seeing throughout our trip north. It seems a 'click' of boats that go about the same speed keep visiting the same marinas...and everyone is friendly and always willing to help. While in Mytle Beach we enjoyed "Flying Fish Restaurant", a similarly themed restaurant as the famous fish market in Seattle, Humburtos a wonderful Italian restaurant in Barefoot Landing and enjoyed seeing George Jones at the Alabama Theatre. And, did we mention The House of Blues - where they had a day of on-going blues and jazz to raise money for the local animal shelter.

Beaufort to Charleston

We left Beaufort and headed North up the ICW. We anchored in Steamboat creek off the North Edisto river with a view of the low country marshes and a beautiful evening.
We awoke to a fantastic sunrise and after one of Jo's gourmet breakfasts, headed North again to Charleston. Upon hearing of some horror stories about the exposure at the City Marina, we decided to go up the Cooper River to a small marina at the Charleston Maritime Center, across from Patriot's Point, home of the USS Yorktown. We thought it would be more protected until a Submarine decided to head out and rock the boat during the middle of the night. We enjoyed visiting Fort Sumter, the old marketplace and walked tne historic streets of Charleston. One of the most interesting visits was the old Slave Market, where domestic slaves, (American Citizens) were bought and sold. Later, we ate dinner at Magnolia's, a real
Southern Cuisine experience. We also visited Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Rich Bossey, our friend in Punta Gorda, was right. Charlston is an epicurian delight! We are enjoying eating our way through the southern "Low Country".

Beaufort, South Carolina

We left Thunderbolt Marina with our complimentary Krispy Cremes and once again headed North. Our original goal was to stop and experience Hilton Head, however, due to the Verizon PGA Golf Tournament they had hiked the price up to $10.00 per foot. So we continued through Port Royal sound to Beaufort South Carolina. Beaufort is another historic town rich with history from the days of "King Cotton" and the Civil War. We stayed at the downtown Beaufort marina, and enjoyed seeing the georgeous spring flowers, historic antibellum homes and Saint Helena Island, home of several former plantations. After the Union Army occupied Beaufort in 1861, using it as a strategic port for the southern blockade, 10,000 slaves were later given their freedom. The Penn school was founded on St. Helena in the late 1800's, to teach the freed men to read, write and fend for themselves, continuing to operate until 1948 when South Carolina took over the public education for the sea islands. We enjoyed seeing several plantations and an old "Praise House" where the slaves were allowed to worship in their own way three times a week. An elderly black gentleman, Mr. Middleton, who actually prayed here, sang one of the original hymns.

Savannah

After a long day on the Water, we arrived in Thunderbolt, Georgia. The following day, we took the bus to Savannah, and toured this wonderful, historic city. Savannah has preserved it's heritage and maintains the beautiful parks which are the original squares layed out by General Oglethorpe, founder of Savannah. Shown is a picture of the site of Forrest Gump's bench, which was one of several movies filmed in Savannah. Savannah is a major port with a thriving waterfront.

Cheri's Art Show

Robbins Dock

On the road again

April 13th, 2010. We left Cheri and Dick Robbin's dock and headed down the river, destination Golden Isles Marina. We had some last minute guests as Cheri and Dick decided to join us for the day. We had a good trip even when the tide, opposing the winds, kicked up a nasty chop. The wee tug handled it fine,however,and we arrived safely at our destination. That night we ate in the Coastal Cafe (on site restaurant) and could not resist the local favorite, Shrimp and Grits.

Robbins Yacht Club and Amenities

The Robbins Yacht Club offered golf, art shows, meeting many wonderful friends of Dick & Cheri and fine dining! On Thursday night we had the opportunity to attend Cheri's opening night at a local gallery in nearby Darien, Ga. Cheri is an accomplished local artist. Fans were buying her paintings off the wall. Afterwards, we tried some local fare at Skipper's Restaurant famous for their Chrispy Flounder.
On Sunday, John went to the last day of the Masters tournament, courtesy of our friend, Dick Robbins. Saw Tiger's return, and saw Phil win the Tournament. Rooted for Fredie Couples and he played well for an "Old" guy. Augusta National was beatiful. We never saw a more well behaved crowd. The members of Augusta National really don't try or need to make money. All in all, an awesome day! Jo enjoyed a Low Country Boil at the Oak Grove Yacht Club. Spent Monday shopping and resting for our next move to Golden Isles Marina on Saint Simons Island.

Shuttle Launch

Great Loop Journey

Welcome to our new blog. We plan to update our travels as we progress on our Great Loop Journey. We left Legacy Harbor in Ft. Myers, Fl. on March 23 and proceeded to cross Florida. We stopped at Roland Martin Marina in Clewiston for a night at the dock and left the next morning to cross Lake Okeechobee early in the morning before a cold front passed through the area. We then stopped in Stuart to pick up a mooring for several days waiting out the cold front while enjoying the Stuart Municipal Marina and the beautiful downtown area. We anchored out the next night in Melbourne, Fl. and then arrived at Titusville Municipal Marina for a few days to take time to visit Kennedy Space Center. We were fortunate to see the Shuttle on the pad being prepared for the Launch that was to happen on Monday, April 3 at 6:23 a.m. We left Titusville on Sunday, April 2 and proceeded to anchor in Daytona Beach. The next morning we were able to see the launch and saw a spectacular sight. Traveling on the waterway, we arrived in St. Augustine and walked the old streets and enjoyed the history of this wonderful city. The next day, we left St. Augustine and picked up a mooring at Ferandina Beach Municipal Marina. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Brett's on the Water and had a very nice evening. On Wednesday at 2 p.m. we arrived at our friends house in Brunswick,Ga. Cheri and Dick have a beautiful home on the Buffalo River and the best Yacht Club a person could want at their docks! John and Dick played golf and are getting ready to go to Augusta on Sunday to see the Masters! We will continue this blog with entries as we progress on our journey.