We left the marina on May 28, anchoring in Toogoodoo Creek that evening.
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| Toogoodoo Creek Anchorage |
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| Charleston harbor and marina |
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| Towboat on the Stono River |
Friday, May 29, 2015
Beaufort, SC to Toogoodoo Creek to Charleston by Karen Posey - May 29, 2015
We left the marina on May 28, anchoring in Toogoodoo Creek that evening.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Climbing Heights and Other Tasks by Karen Posey - May 23-27, 2015
The title of this trip report is “One Can Have As Many Adventures On Land As On The Water”. Subtitle is “If You’re Going To Brag, You Should Balance That With A Little Self-Deprecation As Well”.
Murph did return to the boat from Columbus, OH on May 23 as planned. However, the train to
Savannah was late and so he missed the 6:30am bus from Savannah to Beaufort. The next bus was not leaving until 7:30pm, so he decided to hitchhike (one of the few disadvantages of cruising, i.e., no car). He made and held out a sign that said “BFT”. Fortunately, after approximately an hour, he was given a ride by 2 young marines who were headed for the Marine Air Station just outside of Beaufort (yea, Marines!). When they arrived at the marina, they came aboard the boat and we enjoyed an hour of conversation and coffee on a beautiful sunny morning. Great young men!
OK, here comes the self-deprecating part (though mild, I must say). I had a document on my laptop that I wanted to print, but of course, no room for a printer onboard. So I stored the document on a flash drive, we borrowed a car from the dock master (this was on May 23), and drove to Staples to have them print the document. It was a loaner car that the marina owner had bought to replace the one that broke down when we were on the bridge 2 weeks earlier. We hated to borrow it because we didn’t want to abuse the privilege, but it was available, so we did.
Later that day (May 23), I realized that I did not have the flash drive. I called Staples and, of course, they had it. Now this would not be a big deal, but again, NO CAR. :-( The next day, with great hesitation, we asked to borrow the car again so that we could retrieve the flash drive. While there, we also purchased a box of sheet protectors.
Later that day (May 24), guess what we realized. You got it…we did not have the sheet protectors. I called Staples the next morning (May 25) and asked if they had the sheet protectors. Of course, they did. There was no way we were going to ask to borrow the car again. So I asked the customer service rep if she could simply return them for me and credit my VISA. She was kind enough to do so. I then told her the story of the flash drive as well. I suggested that they position someone at the exit to the store and whenever old people leave, they should ask them, “Do you have everything??”
OK, here comes the braggin’ part. Please pardon my self-promotion, but given my fear of heights, I
had to share this. One of the many boat repairs that we have been dealing with since Murph returned is repairing the anchor light. Murph devised an ingenious fix and climbed to the top of the mast, which is 45ft above the water, this morning to make the repair (photos attached). One of the “fun” parts about the climbing task is the amount of exercise you get, and it is surprising how much you sway back and forth as the wind blows.
I told Murph that I would like to climb the mast as well. He actually had another repair to make that required a climber. (The task was to untangle the lazy jacks, which create a cradle that the mainsail drops into when it is lowered.). So I harnessed up and climbed up as high as the spreaders (approximately 2/3 of the way to the top of the mast), where I was able to accomplish the task.
We still have MANY repairs to make before we can get underway, so expect to be here at the marina for 2 more days. As they say, “Cruising is working on your boat in exotic places.”
Murph did return to the boat from Columbus, OH on May 23 as planned. However, the train to
OK, here comes the self-deprecating part (though mild, I must say). I had a document on my laptop that I wanted to print, but of course, no room for a printer onboard. So I stored the document on a flash drive, we borrowed a car from the dock master (this was on May 23), and drove to Staples to have them print the document. It was a loaner car that the marina owner had bought to replace the one that broke down when we were on the bridge 2 weeks earlier. We hated to borrow it because we didn’t want to abuse the privilege, but it was available, so we did.
Later that day (May 23), I realized that I did not have the flash drive. I called Staples and, of course, they had it. Now this would not be a big deal, but again, NO CAR. :-( The next day, with great hesitation, we asked to borrow the car again so that we could retrieve the flash drive. While there, we also purchased a box of sheet protectors.
Later that day (May 24), guess what we realized. You got it…we did not have the sheet protectors. I called Staples the next morning (May 25) and asked if they had the sheet protectors. Of course, they did. There was no way we were going to ask to borrow the car again. So I asked the customer service rep if she could simply return them for me and credit my VISA. She was kind enough to do so. I then told her the story of the flash drive as well. I suggested that they position someone at the exit to the store and whenever old people leave, they should ask them, “Do you have everything??”
OK, here comes the braggin’ part. Please pardon my self-promotion, but given my fear of heights, I
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| Murph climbing the mast |
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| Murph climbing the mast |
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| Murph climbing the mast |
had to share this. One of the many boat repairs that we have been dealing with since Murph returned is repairing the anchor light. Murph devised an ingenious fix and climbed to the top of the mast, which is 45ft above the water, this morning to make the repair (photos attached). One of the “fun” parts about the climbing task is the amount of exercise you get, and it is surprising how much you sway back and forth as the wind blows.
I told Murph that I would like to climb the mast as well. He actually had another repair to make that required a climber. (The task was to untangle the lazy jacks, which create a cradle that the mainsail drops into when it is lowered.). So I harnessed up and climbed up as high as the spreaders (approximately 2/3 of the way to the top of the mast), where I was able to accomplish the task.
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| Karen Climbing the Mast! |
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| Karen Climbing the Mast! |
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| Karen Climbing the Mast! |
I had hoped to continue climbing to the top, just for the feeling of accomplishment, but the height and the swaying were beginning to get to me a bit and my arms were TIRED, so down I went. I guess I’ll have to work out more with those weights before I attempt this again.
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| View looking down from top of mast |
Saturday, May 23, 2015
GA - OH by Train, May 11-23, 2015
Karen dropped me at my bus for the trip from Beaufort, SC to Savanah, GA, where I caught the train to Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh, I had to take the bus to Ohio, as there are no longer passenger trains on that route.
Visits with my Mother and Paul's family were the primary reasons for this train trip, especially as Paul and Kelsey were celebrating Paul's recently earned Master's Degree.
A short trip hitchhiking from Savanah to Beaufort was required to finish the trip, but Karen addresses that in her post, (scroll to bottom, click Newer Post).
Visits with my Mother and Paul's family were the primary reasons for this train trip, especially as Paul and Kelsey were celebrating Paul's recently earned Master's Degree.
A short trip hitchhiking from Savanah to Beaufort was required to finish the trip, but Karen addresses that in her post, (scroll to bottom, click Newer Post).
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| Upper Potomac River, near Harper's Ferry, WV |
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| Sunrise in the rail yard |
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| Sunrise from the train |
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| PNC Park, Pittsburgh, as the bus heads to Columbus, OH |
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| Point SP Fountain, Pittsburgh, as the bus heads to Columbus, OH |
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| Paul, Avery Mae, Kelsey as Paul earns his Master's in Religion |
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| Murph, Avery Mae, Mother, Kelsey, Paul, Mia |
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| Back in GA, had to hitchhike to Beaufort, SC as the train was late and I missed the connection with my bus |
Monday, May 18, 2015
Natasha's Visit to Beaufort, SC by Karen Posey - May 15-18, 2015
Still at Lady’s Island Marina, Beaufort, SC, waiting for Murph to return on May 23 before heading out again. By the way, in South Carolina "Beaufort" is pronounced "Byoofert". The "Beaufort" in North Carolina is pronounced "Bohfort".
My friend Natasha drove up from Titusville to visit with me May 15-18. We had lots of laughs (as is typical with Natasha. :-) I’ve included a photo of her at the helm, hair flying. But don’t worry, we never left the slip, that was just her Hollywood pose!
We went on a walking tour of downtown Beaufort. It’s a charming town, the 2nd oldest city in SC, after Charleston, and has more antebellum homes per city block than any other town in the US. This photo shows an interesting tree that we saw along the way (and it wasn’t the only one that grew like that).
Beaufort has a beautiful waterfront park with bench swings along the riverwalk. Natasha took a photo of an older couple in one of the swings (I have no idea who they are!!). I told them that we wanted a photo to send home to show that we brought the kids with us. :-) They laughed, but I think that they thought we were both nuts. (Being around Natasha does that to you! :-)
We had a beautiful sunset at the marina that evening.
It was interesting to observe the significant tides that occur in this area. The tides are over 8 feet! It’s hard to imagine that the water level drops (or rises) over 8 feet every ~6 hours! We are at a floating dock, so the ramp from the fixed pier to the floating dock changes angle as the tides change, from a steep slope of the ramp at low tide, to an almost horizontal slope of the ramp at high tide. Pretty amazing, and just one of the reasons that navigating the ICW (aka, “The Ditch”) is so challenging in some areas.
(Fun fact: The Prince of Tides (get it? “Tides”?), a 1991 movie starring Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte, was based on a book by Pat Conroy, a Beaufort resident. It was filmed in Beaufort, along with many other movies, including Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, and G. I. Jane.
OK, on to more mundane (but still fun) activities the next few days...oiling the teak, laundry, grocery shopping, taking a REAL shower.
My friend Natasha drove up from Titusville to visit with me May 15-18. We had lots of laughs (as is typical with Natasha. :-) I’ve included a photo of her at the helm, hair flying. But don’t worry, we never left the slip, that was just her Hollywood pose!
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| Natasha at the helm - Watch Out! |
We went on a walking tour of downtown Beaufort. It’s a charming town, the 2nd oldest city in SC, after Charleston, and has more antebellum homes per city block than any other town in the US. This photo shows an interesting tree that we saw along the way (and it wasn’t the only one that grew like that).
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| Beaufort tree |
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| Who are these people!? |
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| Sunset at Lady’s Island Marina, Beaufort, SC |
(Fun fact: The Prince of Tides (get it? “Tides”?), a 1991 movie starring Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte, was based on a book by Pat Conroy, a Beaufort resident. It was filmed in Beaufort, along with many other movies, including Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, and G. I. Jane.
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| Lady’s Island high tide ramp end view |
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| Lady’s Island high tide ramp side view |
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| Lady’s Island low tide ramp end view |
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| Lady’s Island low tide ramp side view |
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Lady's Island Marina, Beaufort, SC by Karen Posey - May 8-9, 2015
We ended up moving the boat from the anchorage into a slip on Friday, May 8, instead of waiting until Monday, May 11, because of the impending storm and the fact that this particular slip is very difficult to enter when the currents are strong. (In fact, the marina manager almost insisted that we come in on Friday and also enter at a certain time of day when the tides and currents are favorable.) Anyway, it was nice to get in early and get a shower and do the laundry. There was a beautiful double rainbow and gorgeous sunset that evening. I especially like the sunset photo...the sky looked almost surreal.
The next day, we spent most of the day provisioning the boat, including a trip to West Marine for some much needed parts. The marina manager, TJ, was kind enough to let us use a loaner car so that we could run our errands. The car did appear to be on its last leg, but what the heck, any car is better that walking several miles. Well...maybe not. :-( As we started to cross a high-speed bridge over Battle Creek, the car just died! I mean died, kaput, nada!! We were able to coast to a shoulder lane on the bridge, but we were barely out of the zooming traffic. TJ came and picked us up, moved all of our groceries to the back of his pickup truck, and I rode in the back of the pickup with the groceries and TJ’s spaniel, Rudder, for the trip home (no photo to share on this one). I’m afraid to ask what tomorrow will bring! :-)
Time to batten down the hatches and wait for the storm to pass.
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| Rainbow at Lady's Island Marina |
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| Sunset at Lady's Island Marina |
Time to batten down the hatches and wait for the storm to pass.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Cooper River to Beaufort, SC by Karen Posey - May 7, 2015
We had some great sailing today! We unfurled the jib to a single reef, beat into a 25-knot wind (with
gusts to 30 knots) for over an hour. The boat crashing into the waves (6 ft in places) and the waves breaking over the bow provided excitement and fun. No exercising to Charlotte's video while underway today, but with the many short tacks we made, handling the sails provided plenty of exercise.
The late afternoon provided another kind of adventure. I call it "How to spend 2 hours anchoring in the cold, driving rain and smile through it all". As the title suggests, we were hit with the front as we entered our anchorage in Factory Creek near Lady Island Marina in Beaufort South Carolina. It was pouring down rain, driven by the wind, and cold. Thank goodness for foul weather jackets.
Due to the depths and limited space in which to anchor, Murph had to change out the anchor chain. After much time spent trying to find an adequate location, we dropped anchor, only to find that our swing was probably too wide. (No one wants to bump a nearby structure.)
We had, at this point, spent over an hour in the rain, and so we considered docking at a marina. But Murph thought that putting down a second anchor might solve the problem and would provide a challenge (as if traveling the ICW is not challenging enough). Fortunately, it worked, and after almost two hours in the rain, the "adventure" was over. (Murph has a sign displayed in the cabin that says, " The difference between an ordeal and an adventure is attitude").
By the way, I was not able to take photos of either "adventure" today (sailing or anchoring) for obvious reasons, but I did include photos of both Murph and myself at the helm and one of the boat under sail.
And to those (including myself) who thought that I might be bored on this trip...No Way!!
We plan to move to a slip at the marina on Monday (May 11), and I will stay there for 2 weeks while Murph takes a trip up north to visit family. I think it just might take me that long to dry out! :-)
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| Sailing with jib |
The late afternoon provided another kind of adventure. I call it "How to spend 2 hours anchoring in the cold, driving rain and smile through it all". As the title suggests, we were hit with the front as we entered our anchorage in Factory Creek near Lady Island Marina in Beaufort South Carolina. It was pouring down rain, driven by the wind, and cold. Thank goodness for foul weather jackets.
Due to the depths and limited space in which to anchor, Murph had to change out the anchor chain. After much time spent trying to find an adequate location, we dropped anchor, only to find that our swing was probably too wide. (No one wants to bump a nearby structure.)
We had, at this point, spent over an hour in the rain, and so we considered docking at a marina. But Murph thought that putting down a second anchor might solve the problem and would provide a challenge (as if traveling the ICW is not challenging enough). Fortunately, it worked, and after almost two hours in the rain, the "adventure" was over. (Murph has a sign displayed in the cabin that says, " The difference between an ordeal and an adventure is attitude").
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| Karen at the helm |
By the way, I was not able to take photos of either "adventure" today (sailing or anchoring) for obvious reasons, but I did include photos of both Murph and myself at the helm and one of the boat under sail.
And to those (including myself) who thought that I might be bored on this trip...No Way!!
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| Murph at the helm |
We plan to move to a slip at the marina on Monday (May 11), and I will stay there for 2 weeks while Murph takes a trip up north to visit family. I think it just might take me that long to dry out! :-)
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| Tugboat east of Hilton Head |
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Altamaha to Wahoo River to Redbird Creek to Cooper River by Karen Posey - May 4-6, 2015
Now switching gears, who knew that cows could survive in the salt marshes of Georgia!
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| Cows in Georgia salt marshes |
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| Shrimp Boat on Old Tea Kettle Creek, Georgia |
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| Samara |
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| Wahoo River Anchorage |
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| Wahoo River Moonrise |
Wahoo River to Redbird Creek, May 5, 2015
We fueled up at Kilkenny Marina, Georgia. Not exactly your image of a full-service marina. Call it rustic? shabby? You pick the descriptor.
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| Murph at Kilkenny Marina |
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| Kilkenny Marina, Georgia |
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| Salt Marshes at Redbird Creek, Georgia at low tide |
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| Salt marshes at Redbird Creek, Georgia approaching sunset |
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| Sunset at Redbird Creek, Georgia shows salt marsh channel |
Redbird Creek to Cooper River, May 6, 2015
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| Cooper River Anchorage at Sunset |
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