Friday, October 29, 2010
Oops!
As you can see I'm still learning how to import pictures. There are some at the end of our day today but they aren't where they should be. It's getting late and you know sailors - early to bed! My very good friend, Alice, reminded that she showed me how to do pictures this summer, but I can't remember. Oh well, maybe next time they will be with the corresponding post!
Another Beautiful Day!
What a beautiful day today has been! After a week of August like weather, it was really nice to wake up to crisp autumn air and a crystal clear blue sky that makes North Carolina so special this time of year. I am sure that over the next several months I will see many beautiful places and people.
We left Wrightsville Beach on Thursday morning after staying 3 days longer than originally planned. We really enjoyed visiting with friends and family! We did run into a few minor boat issues that we wanted to address before we left the area since we had access to a car from both Pierce (Buck's cousin) and Hollis (Buck's close childhood friend). Thank you Pierce, Bill, Hollis, and Carol. We love you!
We are learning that being on a boat everyday is different from just weekend live-a-boards. The systems are running all the time as opposed to just on weekends and this is different for us and for the boat. But we are becoming more comfortable and confidant as each day passes. Storms and wind also kept us at anchor for an additional day. So we just enjoyed our time there and reminded each other that we started this trip saying we were going to take our time and enjoy every minute of it. We plan to do just that!
We arrived in Southport yesterday on Thursday afternoon and absolutely love it here! We came into Southport Marina and have really enjoyed visiting this lovely Southern town with its beautiful homes, quaint streets, and many, many beautiful boats. But the most memorable part of this town is its people! We have walked throughout the town and met some of the friendliest people anywhere. Early this morning with a 2nd. cup of coffee, we got off the boat to take Magic to shore. As we were walking down the dock admiring our surrounding environment, we heard "good morning". "Be careful walking up that ramp. The tide is unusually low this morning". He was exactly right. The incline on the ramp was very high. We proceeded to talk and this very nice man introduced himself to us. His name is Robert and he has a house and a boat here on the water. We stood there and talked for a while sharing stories about our childhood visits to this beautiful town by the sea. Before he left, he made sure we knew he was available if we needed anything while in Southport. After exchanging boat cards, he made sure we knew how to find him. We have felt welcomed and appreciated everywhere we have gone. This is my first visit to Southport as an adult and I can guarantee you it will not be my last. The memories of today will stay close to my heart.
Tomorrow we are continuing our journey south and will probably be anchoring in Calabash then to the Waccamaw River and then onto Charleston.
Happy Halloween to All!
Fair Winds!
Vicki, Buck, & Magic
We left Wrightsville Beach on Thursday morning after staying 3 days longer than originally planned. We really enjoyed visiting with friends and family! We did run into a few minor boat issues that we wanted to address before we left the area since we had access to a car from both Pierce (Buck's cousin) and Hollis (Buck's close childhood friend). Thank you Pierce, Bill, Hollis, and Carol. We love you!
We are learning that being on a boat everyday is different from just weekend live-a-boards. The systems are running all the time as opposed to just on weekends and this is different for us and for the boat. But we are becoming more comfortable and confidant as each day passes. Storms and wind also kept us at anchor for an additional day. So we just enjoyed our time there and reminded each other that we started this trip saying we were going to take our time and enjoy every minute of it. We plan to do just that!
We arrived in Southport yesterday on Thursday afternoon and absolutely love it here! We came into Southport Marina and have really enjoyed visiting this lovely Southern town with its beautiful homes, quaint streets, and many, many beautiful boats. But the most memorable part of this town is its people! We have walked throughout the town and met some of the friendliest people anywhere. Early this morning with a 2nd. cup of coffee, we got off the boat to take Magic to shore. As we were walking down the dock admiring our surrounding environment, we heard "good morning". "Be careful walking up that ramp. The tide is unusually low this morning". He was exactly right. The incline on the ramp was very high. We proceeded to talk and this very nice man introduced himself to us. His name is Robert and he has a house and a boat here on the water. We stood there and talked for a while sharing stories about our childhood visits to this beautiful town by the sea. Before he left, he made sure we knew he was available if we needed anything while in Southport. After exchanging boat cards, he made sure we knew how to find him. We have felt welcomed and appreciated everywhere we have gone. This is my first visit to Southport as an adult and I can guarantee you it will not be my last. The memories of today will stay close to my heart.
Tomorrow we are continuing our journey south and will probably be anchoring in Calabash then to the Waccamaw River and then onto Charleston.
Happy Halloween to All!
Fair Winds!
Vicki, Buck, & Magic
Monday, October 25, 2010
No Disappointments!
Monday, October 25, 2010.
Thus far, there have been no disappointments in our trip. Traveling the ICW from Morehead City to Wrightsville Beach has been beautiful with spectacular weather, gorgeous sunrises, and a magnificent full moon! The captain and crew have settled in to a comfortable routine enjoying the sights along the waterway. After our first night in Cedar Creek and waking up to a morning of early fog so deep that we could only see a couple of 100 feet ahead, we pulled up the anchor and headed to Swansboro. The trip was fairly uneventful except that we had the wind on our nose and the tide running against us. The tide is new for us since there really isn't any in the Neuse River. But we motored along enjoying the old and new houses along the way. We decided to spend the night at Casper's Marina in Swansboro and we were not disappointed! The people working the marina are native to the Swansboro area and couldn't have been any nicer. We enjoyed a quiet dinner on the boat and then a nice walk through town. It was a beautiful night with just a little crispness in the air and that beautiful full moon I mentioned earlier rising just above the horizon. With the brightness of the moon, we didn't even need the new lanterns for the cockpit that we had purchased. There are parts of Swansboro that are pretty much as we remembered it, but other areas certainly show the growth and development that all the coastal areas of N.C. have experienced. There were new more elegant stores and high-end resturants on the waterfront but a few of the old standby's, such as the coffee shop and the tourist shops. Lucky for Buck, it was evening and the shops were closed! But, I'm not sure we can put anything else on the boat until we eat some of the food we have stored on board.
As I mentioned, we have settled into a nice routine. Living on a boat is very different from living on land with all the modern day conveniences such as a car, groceries stores, etc. close by. Conservation is the word that most often comes to mind when I think about my day. As some of you know, I have been called the "Water Czar" since our trip to Ocracoke last summer. Now, Buck (lovingly I hope) is calling me the "trash czar", "power(battery) worrier", and the "food hoader". But so far the boat is doing great and we seem to have everything we need and want.
After leaving Swansboro last Friday morning, we headed to Wrightsville Beach to spend the weekend anchored in Banks Channel. We have family and friends who live in nearby Wilmington that we enjoyed visiting with over the weekend. We are in walking distance from some great restaurants, the beach and Roberts grocery that has been here for years! One of the newest, most interesting things we have seen in Banks Channel is a big commercial vessel converted to a pleasure craft with a Honda CRX car on the foredeck. Another new thing that we had not seen before is paddle boarding. I guess that is what you call it. It is like a great big surf board where you stand upright and paddle with a long paddle. It looks very uncomfortable and takes a lot of effort. But all the young folks seem to be doing it. It looks like way too much effort and work for this old crew! Magic loves leaning over the side of the boat looking at all the activity. After checking with the weather last night and this morning, we elected to stay over another day. There is a front coming in from the west early afternoon which is supposed to bring severe thunderstorms and wind. Oops! It just started raining earlier than expected. Good decision! When we do leave here, we plan to go to Southport to visit the town for a day. Our good friend Vic has said this is a must for us especially since Buck is so fond of Robert Rourk and his books. Robert's grandfather lived there and I believe we can tour the house as it is a Bed and Breakfast Inn. I've been told there are great antique shops as well as other shops to occupy my time as well.
So for today, it is a day to get caught up with boat chores, do some reading and relaxing, and just enjoy the gentle sway of the boat as it turns with the wind and tide. Hopefully, it will stay gentle!!!
Until next time!
Fair Winds!
Vicki, Buck & Magic
Thus far, there have been no disappointments in our trip. Traveling the ICW from Morehead City to Wrightsville Beach has been beautiful with spectacular weather, gorgeous sunrises, and a magnificent full moon! The captain and crew have settled in to a comfortable routine enjoying the sights along the waterway. After our first night in Cedar Creek and waking up to a morning of early fog so deep that we could only see a couple of 100 feet ahead, we pulled up the anchor and headed to Swansboro. The trip was fairly uneventful except that we had the wind on our nose and the tide running against us. The tide is new for us since there really isn't any in the Neuse River. But we motored along enjoying the old and new houses along the way. We decided to spend the night at Casper's Marina in Swansboro and we were not disappointed! The people working the marina are native to the Swansboro area and couldn't have been any nicer. We enjoyed a quiet dinner on the boat and then a nice walk through town. It was a beautiful night with just a little crispness in the air and that beautiful full moon I mentioned earlier rising just above the horizon. With the brightness of the moon, we didn't even need the new lanterns for the cockpit that we had purchased. There are parts of Swansboro that are pretty much as we remembered it, but other areas certainly show the growth and development that all the coastal areas of N.C. have experienced. There were new more elegant stores and high-end resturants on the waterfront but a few of the old standby's, such as the coffee shop and the tourist shops. Lucky for Buck, it was evening and the shops were closed! But, I'm not sure we can put anything else on the boat until we eat some of the food we have stored on board.
As I mentioned, we have settled into a nice routine. Living on a boat is very different from living on land with all the modern day conveniences such as a car, groceries stores, etc. close by. Conservation is the word that most often comes to mind when I think about my day. As some of you know, I have been called the "Water Czar" since our trip to Ocracoke last summer. Now, Buck (lovingly I hope) is calling me the "trash czar", "power(battery) worrier", and the "food hoader". But so far the boat is doing great and we seem to have everything we need and want.
After leaving Swansboro last Friday morning, we headed to Wrightsville Beach to spend the weekend anchored in Banks Channel. We have family and friends who live in nearby Wilmington that we enjoyed visiting with over the weekend. We are in walking distance from some great restaurants, the beach and Roberts grocery that has been here for years! One of the newest, most interesting things we have seen in Banks Channel is a big commercial vessel converted to a pleasure craft with a Honda CRX car on the foredeck. Another new thing that we had not seen before is paddle boarding. I guess that is what you call it. It is like a great big surf board where you stand upright and paddle with a long paddle. It looks very uncomfortable and takes a lot of effort. But all the young folks seem to be doing it. It looks like way too much effort and work for this old crew! Magic loves leaning over the side of the boat looking at all the activity. After checking with the weather last night and this morning, we elected to stay over another day. There is a front coming in from the west early afternoon which is supposed to bring severe thunderstorms and wind. Oops! It just started raining earlier than expected. Good decision! When we do leave here, we plan to go to Southport to visit the town for a day. Our good friend Vic has said this is a must for us especially since Buck is so fond of Robert Rourk and his books. Robert's grandfather lived there and I believe we can tour the house as it is a Bed and Breakfast Inn. I've been told there are great antique shops as well as other shops to occupy my time as well.
So for today, it is a day to get caught up with boat chores, do some reading and relaxing, and just enjoy the gentle sway of the boat as it turns with the wind and tide. Hopefully, it will stay gentle!!!
Until next time!
Fair Winds!
Vicki, Buck & Magic
Monday, October 18, 2010
Bon Voyage
The time is finally here, we hope! Most of you who know us know that we have dreamed of this day for as long as we have been together. Our life-long goal has been to head south on the boat of our dreams in October. We just never realized that this dream might really become reality. Well, after months and months of preparation on the boat and at home in Durham too, we are finally ready to begin our journey. It is a gorgeous day at the Point with a light west wind and beautiful October blue skies. It is warm enough to wear shorts and sleeveless shirts, but quickly gets chilly when the sun sets in the evening. Perfect sailing weather or motoring weather which will probably be the case while traveling on the ICW! We hope to cut the dock lines first thing in the morning and begin this adventure. If all goes well and as planned, we will not be back at the Point until June. Our cruise will include Buck and Vicki and our precious little Magic. As Buck likes to say, our three dogs (Magic, Lucy, and Sally) drew straws and Magic lost. That is how he got to come. Lucy and Sally will be staying at our house in Durham with our good friend, Charlotte. We are so lucky that she loves dogs and is willing to stay with them while we travel. One dog is a challenge on a boat for any length of time, but 8 months - just think how 3 would be!!!! Yikes! But we do love them and will miss them terribly.
I hope to use this blog as a way to share this wonderful experience with our family and friends. We invite you to come along with us and hope you enjoy every minute!
Fair winds!
Vicki, Buck, & Magic
I hope to use this blog as a way to share this wonderful experience with our family and friends. We invite you to come along with us and hope you enjoy every minute!
Fair winds!
Vicki, Buck, & Magic
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Robert Ruark House
Captain Thompson's House
Our Southport Friend, Robert, on his boat