Can't miss a Farmers Market!

I love hat stores! Stephanie says I don't need another hat. 

Can you say SUGAR RUSH!

The pointy end North

After a great, although way too short stop in Cocoa Beach to play with our good friends Doug and Tammy, (Gypsies in the Palace) we put the pointy end North, and spent the next seven days, traveling each day for nine to ten hours, and anchoring out each night, with a short stop in Brunswick, GA, to load on 6500 lbs of gold, (900 gallons of diesel) and making our way through the twisty, turny, but beautiful marshlands of Georgia and South Carolina. It's a beautiful trip, and great to be in a quiet anchorage each night, just the four of us, and no one else in sight, except the night before we got to Charleston, when we had a storm move through our anchorage, with 50mph winds, and heavy rain at 12:30. The anchor held, and we did fine. Most mornings, when we left the anchorage, as the crow flies, we only had about 40 miles to go that day. NOT! Because the ICW twists and turns through the marshlands, it ends up being about 75 to 80 miles. Almost every day we had rain, but all-in-all, it was a good trip.

September Song (time to play in Charleston) out
Bob


Customs agents, in their fast boats, practicing chase maneuvers in the ICW

"Are we there yet Dad?"

In Georgia and South Carolina, the tides are 7 to 8 foot. The tide runs at about 2 knots, plus or minus, so sometimes we are going ten knots, and when it turns, we go 6 knots. The tide gives, and the tide takes away.

Hard to see in this picture, but these are Pink Ibis, feeding in the marsh.

One of the many rain storms moving through each day.

That's weird! Barge leaving Sapelo Island, our anchorage for the night.

 An Island in the middle of the marshes with a cabin on it. Now that's getting away from it all.

Dolphins play off our bow most days as we travel the ICW.

The beautiful marshlands. They seem to go on forever.  They are a lush green now, but in the fall, when we come through this area, they will take on their beautiful fall colors.

 

Looking at our plotter, you can see how the ICW twists and turns. That little black boat you see be us, making another turn to starboard.

 

Crossing the Savannah River shipping channel is always fun. NOT! We had to dodge six ships. 

Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.

Seagulls, feeding on the small fish September Song churns up.

The view of the radar, as the storm that came through our anchorage at 00:30. 

Hello Charleston!

Views of the Charleston waterfront as we head to our marina.

Back in the US

After our last play day on the beach with Tides In, in the Islands, on our first leg, we headed out at 07:00 Wednesday morning, for a 25 hour trip to the US. It was a beautiful Morning, with light winds, and partly cloudy. The forecast was for winds at 10 knots, and seas less than 2 feet in the Atlantic. Our last connection to weather was the night before we left for the US, and it looked great. Our first 14 hours were across the Bahama Banks, (15 to 20 ft. deep) and it was good to that point. We got to the Atlantic at dark, and the wind started to pick up to 15 to 20, and the waves started to build. By the time we were half way, the winds hit 27 knots, and the seas were 4 to 6 foot, with some higher just to keep us awake, and rain off and on. September Song and Tides In can take a whole lot more than that, but it was not fun. We looked at the forecast that came in Thursday night, (we were already at our half way point) when we got to Ft. Pierce, and it changed completely. We arrived at Ft Pierce at 08:00, and we were so glad to be in calm waters again. Real glad! As Captain Ron says, "If it's going to happen, it's going to happen out there".


Orr last sunrise in the Islands until next spring as we leave our anchorage with Tides In, and put the pointy end to the US. 

Last spit of land (it's a rock) in the Islands.

Sunset, as we head into the dark for the next 10 hours.

I tried to take a picture of what I look at as we travel in the dark, but it was so rough, I couldn't keep the camera calm enough to take a night shot.

I took one with a flash. Radar, plotter, engine gauges, radio, auto pilot, and nothing but black out the windshield.

We have TracVision TV, so we get TV no matter what the conditions are. Helps keep me awake. There are some really weird programs in the middle of the night.

After long, looong naps, we headed out for drinks and dinner at the Tiki Bar at our Marina.

Saturday morning, Stephanie and I headed out to the best Farmers Market we have ever found. We always try to be there on Saturday morning whenever we are in Ft. Pierce. That's our breakfast being made.

Stephanie, picking out some sweet corn to go with the 2 pound steak we bought there, and are going to have at anchor on our first leg to Cocoa to meet up with Gypsies in the Palace. (Doug and Tammy) YIPPEE!

The Gypsies are here, the Gypsies are here!

Sunday, we arrived in Cocoa Beach early, and Doug and Tammy came to the boat not long after. We all loaded in Doug's car, and headed to Cocoa Beach. It was Sunday, and a beautiful day, so the beach was crowded. What a change from where we had been for the last two months, when usually, we were the only ones on most of the beaches we went to. What a fun day, catching some rays, people watching, and spending a fun afternoon with great friends. After a trip to the Beach Bar to cool off, and get a cool one, we headed to one of their, and our, favorite Beach Bars, Fishlips, for some great food, and drinks. Doug and Tammy went back to work for a while, but still live on their boat, Gypsies in the Palace, so they worked Monday, while we did some cleaning, and laundry. They came to the boat in the afternoon, and we went to dinner at another favorite, Coconuts.
It was so great to be together again, even if it was only for a couple of days.
Some day, we will be cruising together again, but until then, we try to get together when ever we can.
Plans are being made for a Key Weird New Years in Key West this year, but we will see them again before then......For sure!


Doug and Tammy arrive at September Song.

Not long after they arrived, we all headed to Cocoa Beach. They have a really cool beach buggy to take all the stuff to the beach. gotta get one of those!

Doug and the really cool beach buggy.

When we are in the Islands, we are usually the only ones on the beach. What a change! We had a less crowded spot farther down the beach. What a great day we had. It was so great to be together again! 

Another view of Cocoa Beach.

A view of the people enjoying the ocean.

I always have to post one for the guys. Didn't find one for the girls, but then I wasn't looking. Sorry!

These two brothers buried their brother on the beach. The promised to dig him out when they leave. SURE!