Beaufort, SC - Jekyll Island - St. Mary's

As we meander down the waterway, I continue to be pleasantly amazed at how beautiful the South Carolina and Georgia waterways are.  So much of the Georgia coastline remains undeveloped and natural.  There are National Wildlife Refuges and State Parks galore.  As the sun begins to set, the marshes are just gorgeous with the many shades of red, gold and orange.  The horizon is lined with huge, ancient, tall Pines and Palmetto trees nestled closely underneath with the marsh grass swaying in the light breeze.  The wildlife is just incredible.  I think we have seen every type of bird and waterfowl there is.  You can hear them communicating with each other by the many sounds they make.  During our travels since Charleston, we have really begun to see more dolphins swimming and frolicking in the water.  It is not unusual for them to swim right up to and along side the boat.  When they come up for air, it almost seems that they look you right in the eye as if they are welcoming you into their home.  They are such beautiful and graceful swimmers!

We left Charleston on Sunday morning, November 7 for Tom Point Creek.  The weather was sunny but cold!  Again, we were so grateful for the full enclosures because we were able to enjoy the trip in shirtsleeves protected from the north wind. The cockpit truly becomes a solarium with the sun beating down on the canvas warming the inside quite nicely.  Once at anchorage,  it was time to enjoy a cold beer for the captain, a club soda for me, and a greenie for Magic while enjoying the scenery and sunset.  Once the sun sets, we quickly close the boat to keep as much of the sun's heat in as possible. This was really the coldest night so far, except for the nights in Charleston.  But that was O.K. because we were at a Marina and had heat!  This was not the case in Tom Point Creek. I will say that even though it was cold we stayed warm enough with our  cozy fleece pants and sweatshirts.  Of course, I was wearing my fur-lined bedroom slippers which kept my feet very toasty and comfortable! When Buck commented about me and my slippers, I reminded him what a very good, elderly friend of ours used to say: "Well, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do"!  That''s my motto!

We spent two really beautiful days in Beaufort, S.C.  We took advantage of the warming temperatures and strolled the streets of this historic, southern town where the townsfolk seemed to welcome boaters.  We enjoyed a horse drawn carriage tour of the town where our guide pointed out the history behind many of the old southern homes that have been there since before the Civil War.  I would highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting Beaufort.  The Waterfront Park is a place that Magic really enjoyed visiting with its beautifully manicured lawn and numerous gardens filled with Southern sub-tropical plants.  The town is very pet-friendly as evidenced by their many pet-waste stations.  I have to say that Beaufort ranks right near the top as one of my most favorite places we have been so far.  I am sure that before we are finished with our trip, I will have many favorite places!

When you think an anchorage just can't be any prettier that the last one, you come to the next one and it just simply takes your breath away!  That's what happened to us when we reached, first, the New River and, then, the Buckhead Creek anchorages. We are now in Georgia.  From our anchorage in New River, you could see the Savannah skyline and the high rise bridge.  It was just an awesome view.  Then the next night, in Buckhead Creek, we found ourselves in a quiet, isolated area where you could look for miles and miles and not see anything but wildlife, marsh, tall Pines and Palmetto trees.  I think this is Buck's favorite place so far.  He just stood on the foredeck of the boat enjoying a cold beverage and looking out over the mass of beauty.  We had just received some sad news that morning so we both were feeling a little sad and melancholy.  His Uncle Smoke, his mother's younger brother, had been in declining health during the last couple of years.  Buck's cousin, Mendy, called to say that he had passed away during the night.  Even though we were in a position that we couldn't physically be in
North Carolina with the family,  they were certainly in our hearts and thoughts in Buckhead Creek.

Our next stop was Jekyll Island.  I have heard about Jekyll Island all my life, but have never had the opportunity of visiting before.  We decided to pull into the Jekyll Harbor Marina for several reasons.  Friends had told us they had complimentary bikes you could use to tour the island and we also needed some fuel.  So we spent the afternoon and the next day really enjoying the hospitality of yet another beautiful area on our journey south.  On Sunday, we rode all over the island stopping first at several shops in the historic district.  I really enjoyed looking around while Buck patiently hung around.  I rewarded him with a nice lunch overlooking the Ocean at Blackbeard's.

We left Jekyll Island yesterday morning and arrived at our current anchorage yesterday about mid-afternoon.  We are anchored in the harbor of St. Mary's, Ga. We are in the St. Mary's River and depending on which way the wind is blowing and the boat swings, we are either in Georgia or Florida. No kidding!  The Georgia/Florida line runs down the middle of the river.  We can actually see Fernandina Beach skyline in one direction and in the other, the beautiful town of St. Mary's.  We are just hanging on the boat today monitoring the low pressure that is here bringing increasing winds and possibly some storms.  We are continually amazed at how the current, tides, and wind all interact together and ultimately affect the boat and its position.  We plan to stay here a couple of days and enjoy the town and its people.  Again, we've been told by friends how boat-friendly these folks are.  We understand that they host a large, pot-luck Thanksgiving feast for all to enjoy.  Wish we could stay for that - but Florida is calling our name where we plan on catching up with our friends, Vic and Gigi on Gigi's Island. 

I can only reiterate how much we have enjoyed our journey through the winding "S" curves through Georgia.  Everyone needs to do it at least once.

In closing,  one of the most interesting and amazing things about cruising is the people you meet and how you can totally by chance run into them again along the way.  As we motored around the harbor looking for the right spot to set the anchor, we suddenly came upon "Curieuse", an Island Packet 32 belonging to Dan and Sharon whom we met in Orcacoke at the Music Festival last summer!  I wonder what the odds are of this happening!  Sharon has gone to visit her family in New England but Dan came over in his dinghy to have a beer and we "gammed" until dark! For you non-boaters, a gam is a meeting at sea where people gather on each other's boats to catch-up on the news!

Until next time - fair winds!
Vicki, Buck and Magic

Cruising the Waterway

We have really enjoyed cruising south on the waterway.  There is a lot of difference in the North Carolina and South Carolina waterways.  The North Carolina waterway is very developed with houses of all shapes, sizes and colors.  There are many man-made channels that have been dug out so that houses and small docks could be built on either side. Our waterway seems almost overdeveloped as compared to parts of the South Carolina low country.  We left Southport on Saturday, October 30 with beautiful skies and cool temperatures.  Like most mornings we began the day in sweatshirts and a jacket and then later on were able to change into shorts and short sleeve shirts.  What is there not to love about North Carolina fall weather!  We never seemed to be alone on the water.  There is always a boat coming up behind you that may be faster and want to pass or you may meet a boat going the opposite direction that you need to respect and give them room to pass.  There are "rules of the road" for boaters and it is interesting to see how the other boats respect them.  One of the things I like the most is to see all the local folks fishing in their respective home waters.  They are usually very friendly to us and don't seem to mind the fact that we are just passing through their waters.  I am sure this time of year they are used to the constant interruption from the transients.

The first night we anchored in Calabash Creek right across the waterway from the Little River Inlet.  It was a really nice anchorage with one other boat, Viking Star, coming in to stay the night with us.  We would later see Viking Star anchored in Charleston.  What is really neat about cruising is meeting new people and following them down the waterway or hearing them converse over the VHF radio as the week progresses.  You may not get to know everyone on the boats but you begin to know the boat names which makes you feel you do know the folks on them, especially when you hear them frequently over the radio.  You become somewhat invested in hoping they reach their destinations safely.

On Sunday we were off early to our next stop - an anchorage on the Waccamaw River.  We knew this would be an especially meaningful day. Buck grew up at Lake Waccamaw right outside of Wilmington. Lake Waccamaw is the beginning of the Waccamaw River so he felt like he had returned to his roots.
We anchored in an oxbow right off the river with absolutely beautiful moss hanging from the trees and little frogs sunning themselves exposed logs.  The Waccamaw is very swamp-like but so serene and quiet in there that I almost forgot about all the alligators I have seen in Lake Waccamaw when visiting Buck's family during summer family reunions.  I was convinced I would see one in this anchorage and even cautioned Magic to be really careful while walking around on the deck.  Much to my delight, we didn't see the first alligator or snake!!

I wish I had the words to describe what it is like to start the day with a steaming cup of coffee, fog coming off the water just meeting the rising sun, and so quiet you can almost hear yourself breathe.  It is just the most beautiful and peaceful time of the day.  It must be what is meant by being "one with nature".  We  have had many of these mornings during our short journey thus far.

The next two anchorages were equally as beautiful but the terrain was very marshy. It seemed as if you could see for miles and miles from the bow of the boat. You really didn't see a lot of development, especially close to the waterway because of the marshlands.  You would have to really look to see the houses built way back in the marshes.  We spent Monday night anchored in South Santee Creek and Tuesday night in Dewees Creek.  We knew the weather was predicted to change and certainly felt low pressure that was hovering just over the horizon off the coast.  We woke up Wednesday to clouds with a cold north wind that made it feel much colder than it actually was.  We were so grateful for our full enclosures because we were so very toasty and comfortable for our short trip to Charleston.  Thank you, Rick!!!!

What can one say about Charleston but that it continues to be a gorgeous southern town filled with rich tradition and history.  It is certainly a mariners town and the City Marina could not have been more accommodating.  Even though anchoring in different magnificent places each night, marina life can be fun too. It is a time to replenish the boat, the supplies, and ourselves.  It is also time to have heat since we are plugged into shore power.  That is why we decided to be wimps today and stay one more night in Charleston since tonight is going to be the coldest night yet.  We have thoroughly loved walking around the battery, through the historical section,  and down the water front.  I loved, you notice I said "I", walking through and just browsing the elegant and upscale shops on King, East Bay and Meeting Streets.  My favorite, though, was The Market with each vendor and their handmade wares they display so proudly!  Charleston has been surprisingly busy and alive with all kinds of people - students, families, other boaters, etc.  There was even a Waterway Cruiser that docked here at the City Marina on Friday.  But, remarkably there seems to be plenty of room for all of us!

Time to close for now since Buck just came down below and asked "what are we doing for supper?".  We will leave in the morning to continue our way south toward Beaufort, S.C.