Leaving Wrightsville to Swansboro, NC

We were up at 5:30am. Wayne dinghies Sailor over to a beach. We put the engine and dinghy back up. We pulled anchor and were underway at 6:30am. It takes 20 minutes to get to the Wrightsville Beach Bridge, so we had 10 minutes to spare for the 7am opening.

Wayne and Sailor coming back from walkie before sunrise.

underway with sunrise

Waiting for the Wrightsville Bridge to open at 7am.

On the ICW

The next bridge, Figure 8,  opens on the hour also, so all of us were trying to make it. When the bridge tender saw us he called on the VHF radio and said keep coming he'd open the bridge. That saved us a half an hour of waiting. Traffic most of been slow this morning. It was nice of him to do that, not many do.

Figure 8 bridge

Coming up to Camp Lejeune, in the middle of the canal Onslow bridge that we had to wait for a opening. Wind and tide makes it interesting keeping boat straight.  A Military helicopter were flying low, I missed the picture. :( You can hear the bombing and Sailor wasn't sure about that. He went and sat by his daddy.

 

Onslow Bridge

Here that Pink House again, even the boat is pink in the back

We arrived  approx 3pm at Dudley's Marina in Swansboro, NC. Of course it blows harder when your coming to dock. We are both on the outside dock. We fueled up and settled in. Wayne and I used the courtesy car to go grocery shopping at Lowe's 2 miles from here. We have to car for 1 hour. Came back and put that all away and started dinner.

So, we had my homemade chicken vegetable soup and garlic bread, salad and I bought chocolate eclairs. YUMMY

Leaving South Harbour Village Marina to Wrightsville, NC

Wayne had his alarm set for 5:30am this morning. But, the yacht behind us started it's engines at 5:30am. That made sure I didn't get any extra sleeping in. We left the dock at 6:45am.

This is where we were all night docked, right off the ICW. As you can see the yacht behind us had left. Sheet Music is all the way up in the left hand corner docked on the inside.

This tug was going by as we released the lines.

Just another dredge project on the ICW today.

OPPS! Lookie who I caught napping!!!!

Wayne is putting the anchor down here in Wrightsville, NC

We arrived here approx. 11am. We put the dinghy in and went over to the dinghy dock. We remembered that there was a small grocery store a few blocks away. I got some of the things I needed and a case of beer for you know who!!. Next stop I have to find a real grocery store. Felt like I was back in the Bahamas again. We took the groceries back and went back to walk the town and see the beach. We had $2.50 cheeseburgers and fries we shared. Sailor was allowed in the outside seating area. Then, of course, we had to have ice cream at this great little place here that we found 3 years ago. We are stuffed. Can't even think about dinner.  It's to windy really to leave the boat now, so dinner that I had planned will be tomorrow night with Chuck and Kathy. Just might be a popcorn night for us.

Sunset in Wrightsville, NC

Today is our 37th Wedding Anniversay.......

Beautiful sunrise with the Bare Foot Landing bridge, the one that didn't open yesterday. Anyway................. Happy Anniversary to Us!!!!!

We were ready to go by 7am and we traveled about 5 miles down the ICW and heard that the next swing bridge had electrical problems and couldn't open. HuH?????? So, Doc Holiday's Marina was close by and we tied up there for 1hr 30 minutes before it was announced that it was opening. Their were 8 boats waiting to go through.

By 10am it was opened. While we were motoring, I made chicken vegetable soup for tomorrow nights dinner, boy did that smell good. Now all 8 boats are trying to make the next bridge opening, which is the Sunset pontoon bridge at 11am. Nope, we all had to  wait till 12 noon.

new bridge is going up and the pontoon bridge will be no more soon.

I hope someone buys it and puts it somewhere else, I think it's just so cool.

Here we are going around a dredge on the ICW.

Before we reached our anchorage at Pipe Line Canal, we stopped to fuel up at South Harbour Village Marina here in Southport, NC. Once we were here we decided to stay for the night.

Kathy insisted she was cooking tonight, because it was our Anniversary. Thank you, and it was YUMMY!!

Steak and roasted potatoes, green beans, cream corn, salad and pudding.

After dinner we walked the dogs and went to the Pipe Line Canal. There is a park there and you can see the boats that anchored there for tonight. Kathy and I saw a shooting star, too.

Instead of the sunset we have a moon rise right behind our boat.

Heading for Bare Foot Landing, Martle Beach, SC

By 7am we were on our way out from Boat Shed Marina, here in Georgetown SC. Here are some pictures.

Bathrooms

Bum'sRest out by the 66 fuel sign.

leaving Boat Shed Marina

Shrimping boats

We have a approx 50 miles to go today. Here we go again with extreme low tides in the ICW. As you go along you see lots of beautiful homes. When you see the golfers going over the ICW in the sky lifts, you know your getting close to the Bare Foot Landing. We were going to stay at Doc Holidays Marina, 5 miles down. But, the Bare Foot Landing Swing Bridge was shut down because of high winds.

Georgetown, SC

Another day in Charleston, SC

Yeah! We slept in this morning. I could hear thunderstorms early this morning and just a little rain. Windy I say. Anyway, by lunch time the sun was coming out. So, we decided to go back into the City. This time we left Sailor in the crate. We walked around some more and found the Southern Brewery. We had a late lunch and enjoyed their beer made on the premises.

One of the many churches we have seen here. Yesterday we seen at least 5 weddings as we were walking the town. Today we saw one.

After we got out marina taxi ride back to the marina, we took Sailor for a long walk. These are pictures were we are docked and the sunset tonight.

Sailor the cuddle bug.

Charleston, SC

Wayne was up to take Sailor over for his morning walkie before the sun was up. While we pulled anchor and took off at 6:45am, I took this crazy sunrise picture her in Steamboat Creek.

This was the reddest sunrise ever. Between Georgia and the Carolina's I think are the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets ever.
Just a great day for motor sailing and very calm. Saw a lot of dolphin's. Their just to busy eating in the mornings to play with us. When we were a few miles from Charleston, our oil pressure alarm went off. So, Wayne turned the engine off and went down to look. The current was going real fast so I just steered the boat down the river. He put more oil in, thought that was the problem. But, when he started the engine the alarm came on again. We made it to the fuel dock. He checked it out and found the wires from the oil pressure switch came off. He by passed it. Thank goodness it wasn't anything serious. We have to order the new part when we know when we will be at a certain marina.

Around 2pm we took the marinas taxi to Market ST.  We walked around and I took lots of pictures.

Philadelphia Alley (read the plague)

We saw the alley and thought it was pretty and just walked down it and found all this info about it. Pretty Cool.

We walked back to Bubba Gumps for dinner. Sailor is welcome here. Afterwards we called the marina and they come pick you up. We are staying another day, because the weather is going to be high winds 20 to 25 knots, gust to 35knots and rain.

Heading for Steamboat Creek, SC

Another early start this morning from Beaufort SC. We have to make the 7am bridge opening or wait till 9am. As we were motoring through I caught that sunrise again.

Another flat calm day motoring through all the twist and turns on the ICW. I won't complain, it's better then rain and ruff waves.

We saw lots of dolphin's today, but I guess their to hungary in the mornings and looking for food to come close to the boat.

Every time we have a "Flipper Alert" I run up to the bow with the camera. Sailor comes too. He gets tired of looking and gets in his favorite stop and watches.

Here Wayne is coming back from a walkie. There was a huge dolphin swimming along with them. I kept tring to get a picture of it. Wayne was going in circles to keep it entertained. But I just couldn't catch a picture. Bummer.

Sunset of Steamboat Creek

I cooked tonight. Crab Imperial, salad, green beans and pudding.

Leaving Thunderbolt Marina in Savannah GA

We were up before the sun again. Wayne had Sailor for his walkie and payed the bill before 7am. The marina here gives you Krispy Kream donuts (6),  USA Today newspaper everyday you are here. Good thing they forgot to give us donuts yesterday, I don't need them. Anyway, here are some pictures of the marina and sunrise.

We pulled out of the open slip by that 15 foot red boat. A retired guy is motoring  the Loop with this. I told him ...ARE YOU SICK???????CRAZY????????

Sunrise with Sheet Music

It was low tide traveling on the ICW. Think it's a 6 foot tide. We saw lots of dolphin's along the way again. None came over to the boat today.  :(

Driving new pilings down under this bridge.

We had the tide with us today and just a little wind sometimes to help. So we made good time getting to Downtown Marina in Beaufort, SC. We arrived approx 2:30pm.  Docked and fueled up. We all took a walk downtown, which is right here. Nice town with the new waterfront park. We stopped here in the park and had a beer.

It was hot out and the cold beer tasted good.

Think this American Spirit ship is following us OR we following them??

Hurry up dad!!! Sun is in my eyes.......

Kathy cooked tonight. Panko chicken, baked potatoe, salad, green beans, and pudding. We are full. Kathy and I walked the dogs.

Savannah GA

We were up early today and Wayne was getting the boat ready for the repair.  He will catch up later with us.  Chuck, Kathy and I took a taxi to Historic Savannah. I say we started at 11am walking first in City Market. Lots of eateries and shops. We took the Oglethorpe Trolley Tour, which is a great deal at $15 a person.

This is Rachael are trolley driver. She gave us a 90 minute tour of the Historic district. After the tour you can use your pass to get on and off again around the city.

 

General James Edward Oglethorpe, English general and Philanthropist, founded Savannah on Feb. 12, 1733.

Savannah is called "America's Fist Planned City" because Oglethorpe organized the town into grids, with wide streets and 24 public squares. 21 of these squares were preserved throughout the years and still exist today.

City Hall

One of the many churches we past.

I have so many pictures of the city, this in one of my favorites. It's near the river front. The city is 40 feet above city level. During storms it doesn't flood.

Wayne called and Bill and Peggy Krautwald picked him up at the marina and meet me at River Street. Kathy and Chuck did their own thing and went back to the boat.

We stopped at this outside cafe' for drinks, and Bill and Peggy got something to eat.

Looking at River St. Lots of places to eat, across from here is the Savannah River.  All the streets here are cobble stones or bricks. They say the stones are from ballast off the ships when they came in they dumped them out and then filled the ships with cotton and rice.

After Bill and Peggy left, Wayne and I and Sailor walked way back through the city and waved a taxi down and went back to Thunderbolt Maria. I was so tired by 9:30pm lights were out in Bum's Rest.