Laydays on Amelia Island

Amelia Island is 13.5 miles long and two miles wide at its widest point. It has about 12.5 miles of excellent beaches extending the entire length of the Island. We rented a car from Enterprise so we were able to drive around while also provisioning once again with water. We spent most of the afternoon yesterday reviewing the Raritan head ( toilet ) in the main cabin ( which has a constant hissing sound ) and the macerater in the main head ( which refused to work despite having had a new pump fitted before we left) ! Thanks to a very persistent Matt I think we may have solved the issues which will be repaired while we are back home. 

Today Wednesday we took NH through the creek , under the bridge and into her slip where she will stay for two months. She is really well protected which is good because the winds have been very strong the last few days. We had lunch at the Sandbar which is right  on the beach - indoors due to the inclement weather. As you can see not too many people at the  beach today. 

Now you know when things are changing when your server is assisted by a robot! Our food arrived to the table by Robot. We did have to assist with taking our food from the tray as she does not have arms! our server reassured us that she likes the Robot because it doesn’t need toilet, lunch, or cigarette breaks! It was a first for us so we were entertained as were the other customers .

American Beach is on the southern most tip of the Island and is the historic African-American community where Burney Beach Park is located. 
Permits can be purchased to drive on this beach. It is a very interesting area and appears to be in the middle of lots of rebuilding and construction. 

Nandad spent  the afternoon decorating NH so the birds would be distracted and stay away. We are hoping for success. The marshes are rich with a variety of  birds which we have enjoyed watching but would prefer if they remain on the dead branches in the marsh and not on NH. Today Nana spotted two beautiful roseate spoonbill with their magnificent pink coloring and spoon shaped beak. They symbolize the power of stillness and sensitivity and have a graceful presence. 

Nana is so excited to return to Franklin for Thanksgiving and Christmas. No more blog until we return sometime in January- likely Jan 15th when we will continue our journey down the AICW and across to the Bahamas. Wishing everybody a wonderful Thanksgiving and a very Happy Christmas to all. 

Tiger Point Marina MM 715

NH has reached her final destination for this leg of our trip. She will remain here on Amelia Island for two months while Nana and Nandad reconnect with family and friends for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has taken approximately three weeks of cruising 1287 miles. When we return we will need  to travel another 350 miles on the ICW to North Palm Beach. From there we will enter Lake Worth Inlet and cross the gulf to the Bahamas.

Today the winds picked up so our crossing St Andrew Sound was very sloppy! Once we reached the protection of the Cumberland River it was much smoother. Unfortunately Nana did not spot any of the wild horses on the beaches today. There are about 150 on the island and they have adjusted to the environment including drinking the salt water. The northern part of the island has several private homes and the only assess is by ferry. Many people visit the  Dungeness Ruins which was the home of the Carnegie family from 1886 to 1925. It is claimed that a poacher burned it to the ground in 1959. The Carnegie’s built several mansions on the island including Plum Orchard and Greyfield ( which is now run as an Inn ). The ruins of Dungeness and Plum Orchard Mansion are today preserved by the National Park Services. 

NH also cruised past Kings Bay which is the home base for the Navy’s submarines. The above picture is one of the structures for the subs. 

We visited Fort Clinch, a well preserved Civil War era fort surrounded by beautiful trails for hiking, biking and camping. From the Eagan Creek lookout we could see the Amelia Lighthouse which was originally on the south side of Cumberland Island. The tower for the light was taken down and rebuilt on Amelia Island in 1838. Tiger Point Marina is up the Amelia River and Egan’s Creek.

Layday at Jekyll

After Nana took advantage of the washer and dryer being available it was time to have fun. Once again we took the golf cart and this time we headed to check out Driftwood Beach. The beach and its iconic driftwood formed as a result of decades of erosion. We were truly amazed at this magical site and were at a loss for words. Again the picture really is not capable of capturing the vastness of these massive roots and twisted stumps all along the beach. 

We returned to NH for a light lunch and afterwards Nana took the loaner bike and had a marvelous ride along the trails through the historic area. The island has over 22 miles of bike trails which wind through pathways and boardwalks - no traffic to pay attention to - the perfect bike path. Nana enjoyed the peace of the marshes while sitting on one of the benches watching the small planes arrive on the island. The small airports on these islands bring their own magic. 

We decided to return to Zachary’s for dinner which again was delicious. On our next trip we will dine at the Jekyll Island Club Resort in the Grand Dining Room which is really stunning. 

Jekyll Harbor Marina MM 685

Today the weather changed and we barley saw the sunshine! Thank goodness we are not a sailboat - those hardy sailors were all wrapped up today. After almost nine hours cruising NH is finally on the transient dock at Jekyll Island. This is one of our favorite spots so we are so happy to spend a Layday here tomorrow. This is our last stop before our final destination of Tiger Point Marina. 

Today Nana spotted a bald eagle perched on drift wood along the marsh grass. Patience pays off when she watches it take flight. A little further along the route she spotted a pod of white Pelicans in flight. Such graceful birds. The American white pelican doesn’t dive into the water for its food like the brown pelican. It floats on the water and scoops up fish and water in its pouch. 

Jekyll Island is situated within the chain of the Golden Isles. The island has several beaches on the east side, a campground, convention center, golf courses, water park, mini golf, several lodging options and of course the famous Jekyll Island Club Resort. The Marina provides bikes and golf carts which of course we take advantage. The on-site restaurant Zachary’s Riverhouse is excellent.

The pictures are not great due to the shifting wind , the movement of the boat and using the iPad - but it gives you some visual.

Nana and Nandad decided they deserved a little treat after such a long cruise.

Isle of Hope Georgia

This is the picture perfect Marina only a few miles  from Savannah. In fact they provide a loner car which Nana and Nandad took advantage of and drove into the city for a quick visit. This is our third week on the boat so we found the traffic etc too much !

Here is a picture of The Waving Girl Statue in Downtown Savannah. Florence Martus with her faithful collie by her side would greet every passing ship with a wave of her handkerchief or table cloth during the day and a lantern at night. She did this for 44 years until she retired in 1931.

Todays journey demanded our attention once again for almost six hours. Leaving Port Royal took us into Port Royal Sound and down Skull Creek passing Hilton Head and Daufuskie Island ( Calibogue Sound ). We passed the ferry that goes to Haig Point and headed into Cooper River. Several areas during this section are shallow but staying with the markers seemed to do the trick ( again the water level appears at least six to eight feet lower than usual ). New Horizon cruises into Georgia as we entered the Savannah River into Elba Island Cut ( which I learned later that Florence Martus lived on Elba Island with her brother who was the lighthouse keeper ). The picture above is the demolition of the old Bascule Bridge which has been replaced by the New Causton Bridge.

After a lovely brisk walk around this most beautiful neighborhood Nana showered and later we made dinner onboard. We were looking forward to eating outside but those nasty No-See-Ums took over !! Tomorrow we will aim to get to Jekyll Island MM 684  - one of our favorite places - it might be a reach so we will see. 

SH Port Royal MM 542

Todays cruise was all about the docks dotted all along the route. Some are very very long, some have railing ( which is really nice ), some are in great shape while others have been taken over by the birds. Either way maintaining theses structures must be horrendously expensive. 

We passed the cruise ship the American Eagle at a particularly industrial part of the channel Yonges Island along Oyster Creek. Again the water level is really low with lots of muddy exposed banks. As you can see from below the green marker is literally stuck in the mud!

Nandad did most of the helm today so he needed to stretch before arriving into SH Port Royal which is adjacent to Beaufort.

While cruising the Ashepoo Cut Nana tried to capture the mystic of the dangling moss.

After a very friendly welcome by the staff at SH Port Royal we took a stroll around the very quaint neighborhood, relaxed on the boat and had an excellent dinner at the Marker 244 - their local restaurant. If you wanted to spend time in this area there is plenty to do between these two historic towns of Port Royal and Beaufort. In addition to the antebellum homes, there are several pre civil-war churches, the Beaufort Museum, horse and buggy rides, observation tower and lots more. You can even visit iconic movie locations. However Nana and Nandad will continue their journey and aim to reach Georgia tomorrow.

Charleston SC MM 469 ICW

An early start yet again! After passing Hare and Rabbit Island on Winyah Bay NH enters the Estherville Minim Creek where there is a very unusual bridge.

It’s a swing bridge that opens by being pushed across the ICW by a small boat. As you can see the bridge’ s name is Miss Ellie. This section of the AICW was very shallow in certain areas with the water level extremely low. Many boat lifts were simple in the mud so you certainly could not take your boat our from the dock. It was a lovely cruise and Nana was able to do a little yoga while underway. So many islands along the way Minim, Crow, Murphy’s, Cat, Cedar, Bird, Capers, Dewees, Sullivan’s, Eagle, Isle of Palms and James. The blue herons appear creeping along the marshes, standing tall on the pillars and flying low over the waterways. The dolphin also frolicking along the bow of the boat.

This is the Ben Sawyer Swing bridge which is now closing after opening for a sail boat. It is 31 feet so NH can get underneath easily. It is about four miles from Charleston which is where we will dock for the evening. Safe Harbor Charleston is a huge marina with a mega dock where they can accommodate very large mega yachts over 200 feet. They are building another area for yachts 400 feet! From May to June and Oct to Nov these docks are all fully reserved. They provide an hourly shuttle to anywhere you need to go up to 7.45 pm. Nana and Nandad of course took advantage of this service and stocked up again with groceries for the last leg of our journey. We have approximately 250 miles to go and would like to be at Tiger Point Marina - which is on Amelia Island near Fernandina Beach up Eagans Creek - by November 13 th. Nana is excited to be on the final leg of our journey and is ready for some Nana time. We will fly back to Boston November 16th. 

Although NH does not cruise under the Arthur Ravenel JR. Bridge it is pretty magical looking from the water. The bridge connects downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant. Although we do not have time to explore Charleston on this visit it is a wonderful area and definitely worth staying a few days. We enjoyed watching the sunset , strolling the mega dock and had a wonderful dinner onboard. 

NH cruises into South Carolina MM 402.6

Today was the day to spy on all the fabulous homes along the ICW. They just got bigger and bigger. It took Nana and Nandad nine hours to get to Harborwalk Marina which is downtown Georgetown. It is a very interesting section of the ICW between the homes, the waterways, the beach feel of Myrtle Beach, the spooky moss spilling from the trees all along the Waccamaw River. I guess you can take the Casino cruise and either win or loose all you money! 

Georgetown is a very picturesque town with lots of museums, boutiques, restaurants, art galleries and very eclectic stores. It is on Winyah Bay which is surrounded by four rivers and once was a vibrant rice plantation area ( Hopsewee and Hampton are the most popular ). It is also home to the Kaminski House Museum, the stately former home of a Confederate sea captain. The rice fields were replaced by International paper and lumbar mills. 

SH Southport Village NC MM 311

Another perfect day to cruise at a steady speed of 9 knots. Although we were on the water today for four and theee quarter hours it felt a lot longer. We went under the Figure Eight Island Bridge ( vertical reported at 20 ft ) however we were delayed at the Wrightville Beach Bridge which was also reported as 20 ft but when Nandad called the bridge operator he verified that it was really 16 feet so we decided it was prudent to wait. 

The house in the picture just goes to show that you never know what your new neighbor will build! 

New Horizon cruises through Snow Cut with Pleasure Island to her port side into the wide Cape Fear River. Multiple markers can be very confusing but Captain Aedan has it all under control. We can see the ferry that takes passengers to Federal Point in the distance, we pass Deep Point where you can take the ferry to Bald Head Island so it’s a busy traffic area. The area below is Carolina Beach Inlet which I believe is to shallow to get you out into the Atlantic. Sure looks pretty.

We were secured to the transient dock at SH Southport Village ( after entering the wrong marina first ) by 1.15 pm ready to have lunch onboard in wonderful sunshine. We took on another 100 gals of fuel, got pumped out ( boating essentials ) and settled in for a relaxing evening. Excellent dinner at the lovely Italian restaurant Joseph’s right at the dock. 

Harbour Village Marina

Sunday November 5th.  Another long day cruising starting at 8am ( thinking it was 9am ) and arriving into our slip at 3.15 pm. The marina has new docks and is run by four private HOA’s. It is the perfect spot for a relaxed quite evening looking out into the ICW. Beautiful homes surround the marina and because there is no outlet to the Atlantic Ocean the boats are mostly Center Console and Boston Whalers. The perfect spot for fishing, beaching and simply enjoying the waterways. Our only issue this evening is sunset was 5.15 pm!! 

The cruise today was just beautiful with the ocean breeze and visibility in the distance. The surrounding waters are full of small islands, creeks, inlets and marshes. It is really very difficult to capture its beauty on camera. Nana was able to spot a bald eagle perched on a dead tree, snowy egrets peeping their long necks up unannounced in the marshes, pelicans swooping down to catch their fish, the osprey guarding their nests, the sea gulls following out wake and Nandad got great video of dolphin frolicking along the side of NH -  Unfortunately Nana has not figured out how to post a video on her blog! The picture below is the Beaufort Inlet which will take you out into the Atlantic.

A little blurry but gives you the idea of the beaches that you can access with your small boats and have some family fun.

Now Nana rarely talks about food while cruising however today she could not resist the opportunity to share with you what a late morning snack might look like on NH. Homemade poppy seed bread, yogurt and fresh strawberries. All while maintaining hourly watches and making sure NH stays on course. Life is pretty good. Apologies that the strawberries are not in a pretty container - always room for improvement. 

SH Jarrett Bay

 Nana enjoyed exploring the crystal clear sky last night however at about 10pm she heard this cry and a voice saying I’m in the water. A man on the boat in front of us fell into the water. Nana grabbed a flash light and with plenty of assistance ( and some hard work by the man who fell in ) the rescue was successful , an ambulance was called and the gentleman was taken to the hospital for evaluation. We heard the next day that he had broken a few ribs but otherwise should be fine. Just goes to show how boating is never uneventful. 

Now you need to look at this picture carefully. New Horizon is there on the dock directly at the bow of the mega yacht Island Cowboy! Just when you think you have a big boat this can put it all in perspective. After six hours of cruising we are docked at SH Jarrett Bay. This is a very large boatyard with multiple lifts and lots of mega power boats with the occasional sailboat. We cruised across the Pungo River into Pamlico River and goose creek - a very wide section of the AICW - from there into Bay River and Neuse River heading up into Adams Creek , a total of 62 miles. We are now at MM 197.2. This is the view from the entrance to the shipyard. 

Belhaven

This morning Nana woke early to watch all the larger powerboats and some of the sailboats all leave at the same time. NH left the dock at 8.15 am and at the end of the day tied up at the dock at 5pm at River Forest Marina MM 135. We had a very pleasant day cruising the Albemarle Sound , Alligator River, Pungo River Canal and River. We each did one hour Watch which meant that we remained alert - it can be difficult to maintain attention for longer periods especially when cruising for more that five hours. 

The marina is now taken over and called Grand Manor Marina and lots of new plans are taking place. The 100- year-old Southern mansion is about to have a makeover which includes new kitchens, restaurant, spa, event tent and lots more. We met the new owner who was happily painting the surface of the new pickle ball court which is under the canopy of tall shade trees on the pristine lawn. The marina continues to offer free golf carts and laundry. They have repaired the docks and are about to improve the breakwater. Nana couldn’t resist ringing the bell which is right outside the laundry 

After doing some boat chores Nana and Nandad took the golf cart to the grocery store and then went for dinner to the Spoon River. It still serves a very different menu with delicious food and amazing desserts - they make all their own desserts YUMMY. 

Coinjock Marina NC

November 2nd Thursday we leave SH Bluewater Yachting Centre and start our journey into the AICW - Atlantic Intercostal Waterways. By the time we pumped out the head and filled with fuel we were later leaving than we would have preferred. Before you cruise down the AICW you have to travel through the 10 nm stretch called the Hampton Roads area. It is here that the worlds merchant fleet loads and unloads cargo. It also feel weird as the boat cruises along there are cars traveling the tunnel underneath us. It takes a lot of concentration to make sure you are honoring the correct markers and of course staying our of the Navy Ships way !This particular one is the George W Bush.

At mile marker Zero NH cruises into the Elizabeth River and starts its journey into the AICW. Our first challenge is waiting for the bascule bridge to open followed by the chase to make it to the lock and after that making the opening of the next bridge on time. We gather a flotilla of probably eight boats - a mix of sail and motor - all heading for the same place! 

At mile marker 7.3  you can decide to take the Dismal Canal or the Virginia Cut route ( which is the way NH goes ). The route winds 13 miles on the headwaters of North Landing River ( which is a very wide section but has a very narrow channel ) on to Currituck Sound and into Coinjock Bay. NH did assist a sailboat that went aground so it was a good feeling to have made another boaters day just a little better. Nana and Nandad arrive into Coinjock Marina Mile Marker 49.4 after leaving Hampton at 9.45 am - a long day. 

After washing down the boat and watching the marina fill up with other boats we were rewarded with an excellent dinner at the restaurant which is famous for its steak and prime rib. Tomorrow we will head off early and try to make it to Beaufort Mile Marker 134.