Fort Lauderdale to Beaufort, North Carolina

   Hannah, Will, Henry and I went out to Sunday Brunch at the Hyatt Regency revolving restaurant – fabulous 4 hours basically eating whatever took our fancy whilst watching Fort Lauderdale pass by our window and drinking unlimited Veuve Cliquot! 

Late this evening- an interruption in television broadcasting for a Newsflash from the White House. Apparently, the White House press office had put a “lid” on today’s news releases – meaning that no more news was expected to be released from the White House that day and all TV channels had knocked off for the day. At 10pm they were recalled and it took over an hour for them to get all channels newscasters and cameras back in place for the President’s announcement that Osama Bin Laden had been found and killed. A very historic weekend, the Royal Wedding having happened last Friday.

Farewell breakfast at Denney’s - pancakes and bacon and maple syrup, hash browns, eggs and muffins, Mike and Will move RT back round to the anchorage, 1 last swim and off to Miami airport to say good-bye to Grover family – I will so miss all of them!

Of course, the wind then disappeared so we sit in sunshine and wait. When we finally leave Fort Lauderdale big horrid seas had me feeling poorly which meant that Mike tried to get us into harbour at the end of the day but we ran aground before we were anywhere near so turned around and set off North again towards Cape Canaveral with the intention of anchoring there. Did catch a massive tuna though. Passed a submarine on the surface – presumably some sort of security for the Space Station.

Having got level with Cape Canaverel we had a conference wondering why we were going there as the last shuttle launch had been delayed past 11th May so we carried on North to St Augustine – pronounced Aug-us-steen. There was a moment as we came in when I thought Mike was going to say it looked to difficult or dangerous (having seen the motorboat aground on the shoal outside) so I was looking for my life vest so I could jump ship!

However we picked up a buoy off the Municipal marina after waiting for the lifting bridge to let us through, so all’s well in the Goldrich boathold!

We went ashore in the marina water taxi which runs every 2 hours – what a great service included in the mooring ball price of $20 a night so we haven’t had to inflate the dinghy at all. Several trips ashore including lovely fish dinner at Harry’s courtyard bar on American Mothers Day. Bit of strolling through the Historic Spanish quarter, but loads still to see on another trip. Lovely town with lovely people and no cruise ships – ideal!

 

Beautiful old house with wooden roof shingles

Old fort and various tourist ways to explore the town

Left the mooring around 6am, so rare (for me!) photo of sun rising and a flock of pelicans returning from breakfast.

Anchored off Golden Isles marina with the intention of hiring a car to visit Brunswick. However, as we entered the inlet we were boarded by loads of horrid, bitey flies and the will to go into the marina the next day deserted us!

Photo: Shrimping boat                                                               Photo: squeezing under the bridge

Up the Beaufort River about 10 miles and then anchored around 3 in the morning. Going under the fixed bridge late that morning was a bit hair-raising although we had treble-checked that we should easily fit under, whatever the tide height, it still looked pretty close! 65 foot is the minimum fixed bridge height on the ICW (Inter Coastal Waterway) so we really shouldn’t be nervous but………..!

Guess what – Mr Grumpy’s going to be a real Grumpy Grandpa – courtesy of Fee and Phil – Congrats you guys – how exciting. Typically, they will be visiting UK with babe (due at end of November) in May 2012 just when Mike will be half way across the Pacific en route to Oz! So we won’t catch up with them in Melbourne till about August 2012.

Beaufort SC

Ashore in search of lunch and tourist traps in Beaufort (pronounced Bewfort – as in beautiful!) South Carolina. Pleasantly surprised by interesting horse drawn carriage tour of the historic quarter. What a pretty place.

Loads of movie stars have stayed in these houses in the Historic Quarter whilst filming Forest Gump, Prince of Tides and loads of others I cant remember!

Lunch looked like sandwiches were the only option so back to RT and out again in the evening for the most fab dinner. We shared a steamed shrimp starter, then I had 4 huge scallops with black lentils, lardons and melted mascarpone – delicious and Mike had Blackened Dorado with fennel and a crabmeat mash potato. We shared a crème brulee, which was the best ever. www.saltusrivergrill.com Highly recommended!

Photo: new way of getting fit, USA style

Decided to try and get up the ICW (Intercoastal Waterway) to Charleston to save going the 15 odd miles back down the river, ably assisted by 2 Skipper Bob publications kindly donated by Bill & Diane (who we originally met in Rabat 2 years ago!) – thank you so much guys, they were invaluable.

 Ashore we tried to be tourists again but the Arsenal Museum closed down 3 years ago and the only house open to the public, frankly looked a little dull! 

After going through the swing bridge, you are meant to be able to swing immediately right and anchor in a creek off the marina. Strong current and shallow water were in danger of throwing us onto a piling so, with empty fruit and veg basket we carried on up the river.

  

Very interesting motoring up between loads of very flat islands and grasses – (maybe I’m a motorboat girl after all!) not having to stow everything away – as my pal Lynne says, nice to put your Paloma Picasso on a shelf and know it will be in the same place at the end of the day! 

“No see-ums” are NOT, what we first thought from the Pilot Book i.e. things obstructing the river bend to catch your anchor on – but little nasty bitey things! We were more bothered by “see-ums” – big nasty bitey horse flies. This is Pete-heaven - the place is awash with birds, unfortunately, other than pelicans, we don’t recognise any!

Did you spot the odd one out?!

Travelling up the ICW has been lovely although we were motoring, we did get a headsail up for a couple of stretches. Photos say it all – including how cold it’s been here the last 2 days – please note the rather fetching coordinated socks and trews –don’t have many winter clothes on board!

Photos above: Mike on his way in dinghy to track down some fresh prawns allegedly for sale up the creek – unfortunately only in 5lb bags and a catamaran following us up the ICW looking as though its parked on land!

Below: how close we are to the shoaling bank and a crabbing boat exciting the pelicans

Thousands of pelican ( and other sea-birds)  photo opportunities!

Dolphin strolling up the ICW and the 65-foot marker for bridge height still not managing to totally convince me!

Flight of the 3 pelicans and virtually the only traffic we’ve seen on the waterway so far– 3 motorboats trying to overtake.

Charleston, North Carolina

Thankfully, the cold spell has passed and we are back to shorts and t-shirts. The marina office is not very helpful with info as to how to get about in Charleston. Getting to supermarket turns out to be the other side of town and the subject of “public transportation” seems to defeat America but we gainfully walk on in the heat and get a cab back loaded down with supplies. We had started off with an aversion to Charleston mainly because, unless you’ve got a car, it appears pretty impossible to get around – but it grew on us.

We eventually found the Visitors Centre which has no signs either outside it, or to it, and is on the other side of town from the cruise ship terminal and the marina so unless you arrive by car again, you’re stymied! However, we fund Hyman’s Seafood Restaurant and a free trolley-style bus that operates about 4 loops round different parts of town. Things are looking up! I had found a coupon for a free crab dip at Hyman’s, then we were given some free fried green tomatoes and calamari “courtesy of Eli (the owner) – you-all enjoy, folks”. We had already ordered a soft shell crab as a starter to share so by the time my crab cakes “85% crabmeat ma’am” and Mike’s flounder had arrived we were beginning to look American sized. Both came with hush-puppies (corn flour, honey, beer, onion dough balls deep fried- yummy!) and big lovely French fries –very bloated leaving the restaurant, then given 2 free enormous chocolate covered strawberries. Well, we found room for them! www.hymanseafood.com

Apparently Kevin Costner (along with dozens of other celebs) ate here and Billy Joel allegedly “ate at this table”!

Happy Birthday, Sis! We lolled about on the boat all day!

En route to Georgetown, by the time I emerged at 8, a Spanish mackerel had been caught and was waiting for me to fillet it for later. We only know he’s Spanish because that’s what it says on our “North Carolina Saltwater Fishes” chart!

Anchored at the top of the river right by the recycling plant and mill that droned on all night! Jumping fish created some evening entertainment.

Very friendly people again – SC seems to be full of them. Stroll round the town in outrageous heat. Very pretty.  Pleasant sail (Mikes words, not mine!) to Beaufort North Carolina

Parked up beside “Emma Nuestra” – the Canadians we met in The Bahamas. However, Georgie and David not on board to welcome us, but came over for sundowners in the evening! Lovely to see them again. 

Caught a very big King Mackerel at first light – 14 suppers!

Our windlass motor has decided to play silly-buggers again! Mike and David spent the next morning taking it apart. Luckily, David had hired a car for a few days so they drove around tracking down a new brushes set for it,  re-assembled and re-fitted and we are good to go again – but not as good as new. The motor is only 8 months old so on-board Wifi meant we were able to get in touch with the bloke we bought it from in the UK and he is sending a new motor to a Virginian boatyard for us. Coastguard came by around lunchtime to ask us to move as we (along with about another 10 boats) are blocking the channel. Guess they want to tidy it up for the weekend – Memorial Day. In the evening we went to an art gallery that G&D had tracked down earlier. Had to buy 3 pottery wall pieces for the bathroom in UK, really lovely but will be interesting getting them home in one piece! Couple of glasses of wine completes the do.

Stroll round the town in and out of pretty shops with Georgie while the boys watch the laundry go round, followed by ice cream for breakfast. It’s great looking around places with people who have visited before – saves an awful lot of legwork! They knew of a place selling fresh shrimp (prawns) so we indulged ourselves with 1lb. Another stop at a craft fair made Mike’s day! An hours rest and we’re back over to “Emma” in the evening for aperos with another couple of Canadians, Linda and Tony, from One-Day – a Beneteau 37. Lovely nibbles and Georgie’s home made Brownies.

Bit more shopping for camera (mine has died) and glasses because our tumblers are getting broken and Georgie can’t bear drinking wine out of the Moroccan tea glasses – “Holy Crap!” not big enough, apparently! Out in the evening as we had $5 vouchers off a “main” supplied by the art gallery guy. When we presented them, they said they were worth $10 each so we launched into cocktails (I had a Bloody Mary Martini which was delicious with pressed tomatoes and not trad tomato juice) followed by sharing a delicious scallop starter and then I had shrimp and grits (which this time were delicious! – we knew they would be as we asked to try a sample of them first!) and Mike had the most gorgeous crab cakes, apparently made just with crab – not an ounce of potato in sight, and chips. We all had desserts and waddled back to our boats only to be told off by the Coast Guard for not having flashlight showing on our dinghies!

Yet again in to the shops for more oil filters (Success) and a light bulb for David (failure) followed by ice creams in Beaufort and a wander round girly shops with Georgie (so nice to have a fellow shopper to window-shop with again!) including the broken turtle plaque she got for free from the art gallery we’ve been buying up!

In the evening they came over to us for supper and we forced large mackerel steaks on to them in order to try and decrease our freezer stocks. Finished off with Georgie and I (with a little help from David) managing to destroy most of a bottle of Mudslide – a chocolate and rum concoction, essentially alcohol laced Chocolate milkshake!

Beaufort NC en route to Norfolk, Virginia

Via a really cheap fuel dock “Emma” knew about from previous visits. (These guys are very good people to know!) -40 gallons of diesel for about £100- we set off motoring up the ICW following “Emma”.

Commercial clamming boat and 3 guys in the water digging clams individually!

It doesn’t matter how many fixed 65’ bridges we go under, I still can’t believe we’re going to miss hitting them with our mast so I always take a photo of the depth sign before we go under just in case we need it for the insurance company! But, proof positive, here’s a photo of “Emma” who’s taller than us making it with feet to spare – although it does look like she only had a few inches above her!

Noisy “domestic” as Mike doesn’t like having to repack the fridge as “it’s got too much stuff in it, Kate!”

2 responses – Either“ Get me a front-loading fridge then (and the Hylas 46 to go with it)!” or “So starve!”

Sunset calms ragged nerves, ably assisted by a couple of beers – something tells me he doesn’t like motoring!