Glen and I are flying into Orlando, picking up a car, and driving to Halifax Harbor Marina. Sevilla, our Catalina 36, has been in a slip there since Thanksgiving week. We went back to Maryland for the holidays while a trusted technician from Atwater Marine kept an eye on her and performed some repairs.
We sent our newly refurbished Raymarine Chart Plotter on ahead. We were pleased that "Mike" at Raymarine was able to repair the plotter; he even put on "new glass". "Gary" from Atwater aligned the engine, got us a new thermostat for the frig, and replaced the transmission fluid. We're hoping Sevilla is good to go. We had some worries with her on the way down, but it looks as though now we could have smooth sailing.
We'll know more tomorrow. Let's hope this "El Nino Loco" will allow us some fair winds and good weather so we can get to our destinations in peace. I hope that's not too much to ask of the weather gods.
Peace to all. Stay tuned. I'll get some photos into this Blog in a few days.
Maureen and Glen
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
April 22-25 Land Ahoy! The last 152 miles are the longest
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| Easter Sunrise April 24 Fishing Bay, VA |
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| Fishing Bay |
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| Little Choptank R, MD |
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| One of our Ospreys on the Severn |
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| The Seafern gang all together again! |
We took something of a chance when we left Portsmouth on Saturday. We had studied the weather carefully and it seemed as though the cold and wind were mostly in the upper Chesapeake Bay and would have gone through by the time we arrived there the next day.
Our original destination was Solomon’s Island, but we blew by that at 1:30, took a look at each other, and said, do we really want to stop so early? So we kept on truckin’, and steamed on 22 more miles. However, we nearly got clobbered by a weather system that had been developing in the Washington area all afternoon. We were alerted by a NOAA weather service bulletin about 3:00 as to several severe thunderstorm “watches” all around the area, mostly north and west of us, we thought. We could see the storms building and got nervous, but Sevilla was moving as swiftly as she could towards a protected area off the Little Choptank, Creek, where we had anchored many times before. I kept looking over my shoulder as we made that right turn into the river and then left into the creek, hoping the big wall clouds would stay to the north as they passed to the east.
And they did. Fortunate for us, the foul weather went by us with no rain, distant lightning only, and one big wind gust after Glen had gone to sleep. This has been the worst April for bad storms all over the U.S. I hope no tornadoes develop in Maryland tonight. This is our last night to sleep on Sevilla. I feel a tightening in my heart and a tear in my eye. I know I will miss her. She has been a faithful partner in our adventure. Allie Scharf said you’ve got to trust your boat. And I do. She’s done everything we’ve asked of her, and carried us safely more than 3,000 miles in six months.
Two weeks ago, we left Myrtle Beach Yacht Club with 500 miles to go. Today, we have only 32 to go, and should arrive in Saefern by 1:00 or so. Our friends are e mailing us and asking for us to call about 20 minutes out so they can rouse the neighborhood to welcome us home. That is so wonderful, I can’t believe it.
It’s a glorious day, although hazy and the visibility is limited. Nothing serious.
We washed the grime off our faces, changed into our Key West Tee shirts and poured some Bloody Mary’s. Now that we were close to Annapolis, we saw lots of boats—the huge ships that lay at anchor waiting for fog to lift on their way into Baltimore, loads of small fishing boats looking for Rockfish, and a few sailboats. We were particularly struck by how few other boats we encountered on our way home. I think we’re a little ahead of the pack that went south or to the Bahamas. Their migration will be in May. It was nice to have the Bay to ourselves.
We turned into Clement’s Creek and could see the crowd gathering. People waved flags, blew horns and cheered us in—like the finishing line of a prestigious race. We landed the boat at the pump out dock, and alighted, receiving welcome embraces from our friends. It was a great feeling to be welcomed back to our Saefern family.
Glen and Maureen
Annapolis, MarylandApril 25, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
"The Largest Natural Harbor in the World"--Four Days in Portsmouth steeped in mariner history
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| The lightship Portsmouth |
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| Aircraft carrier under repair |
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| The Good Shepherd in Tiffany glass, St. John's Church Portsmouth |
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| Glen in Mrs. Sheler's Garden |
The town dates back to the early 18th century although people back as far as men with Capt. John Smith in 1608 had petitioned for permission from the Crown to build a town at Portsmouth. Norfolk, across the Elizabeth River, was ahead by about a century. Adm. Cornwallis had wanted to keep his army at Portsmouth, but was ordered to Yorktown, from which there was no escape. Portsmouth became a great shipbuilding town. At the time of the Civil War, there were 9,000 residents, 1,500 of whom worked in the shipbuilding industry. The Confederacy used the shipyard to build refit the sunken Merrimac into the CSS Virginia, one of the“ironclad” ships doing battle with the Union. And the Great White Fleet of Pres. Theodore Roosevelt began its 9,000 mile voyage of peace around the world from Portsmouth Harbor after the great exposition of 1908 . The first sail frigates, the first ironclad, first battleship and the first aircraft carrier were built there. It was said to be the largest natural harbor in the world.
We also saw the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum with local and naval history, and the Lightship Portsmouth. The first lightship was built in 1822 here.
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| Sevilla at Tidewater with a skyline view of Norfolk |
There were two murals on opposing walls of the Commodore Theatre. This one depicted the growth of the South from discovery to Emancipation with Lincoln leading the people. The other depicted the growth of industry, particularly shipbuilding, in the area. The ambient lighting was beautiful everywhere, particularly in a stylish ladies' room.
Tomorrow, it looks as though the big winds and 3-4 foot seas are dying down somewhat. So we are going to head up the Bay to Fishing Bay, come hell or high water. Hope we won’t live to regret saying that. We’ll wait until the office opens at 8:00 to check the weather one more time and receive a credit for our 5thnight of marina fees.  |
| US Naval Hospital, Mile Zero on ICW |
Happy Easter, everyone,
Glen and Maureen
April 23, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday April 18, 2011 Across the Alligator River to our Nemesis—the Albemarle Sound—and on to the Dismal Swamp
We left Beacon “43” at 6:55 a.m.. It was chilly and clear; there was a slight breeze on the Alligator River. 80 is predicted for today. Tonight the winds are supposed to blow 15-25 from the South.
We really loved the beautiful ride up the Pasquotank River towards the lock. The Swamp glowed with the intense golden green of early spring and as you look up the river, it continually narrows to a V in the sparkling water of the late afternoon light. I tried to capture the mood in many photos.
We decided to seek an anchorage as close to the South Mill Lock as possible, so we would be ready for the 8:00 a.m. opening. The nav book showed one off the “Turner Cut,” just before the lock. We started down one fork and then pulled back, unsure of the upcoming depth. Trying to turn her around in a narrow space we backed Sevilla into a big bush and couldn’t get off. We were stuck. The depth finder was dinging away, and we tried everything, including moving up front to take the load off the stern. That helped and we showed more than 4 feet of water--not the 4.5 we needed. We seemed to be stuck on a log or something. Glen lowered the dinghy, thinking he could push us off from there. But we couldn’t start the dinghy motor. Lots of cursing and swearing in the Swamp there. I felt like we were enacting a sequel to My Cousin Vinny as I kept giving unwanted advice and we were getting nowhere.
We paused. And in about an hour we floated off (just as I predicted. See similar problem going aground in Georgia.) We moved away from the evil spot, and anchored in the river. It was hard getting the anchor to bite. Glen curled up with the sleeping bag in the cockpit all night. We listened to the owls flirting. We knew that 100’s of little pairs of eyes kept watch over us; kind of spooky but also lovely to be in the midst of such a wild, historic place. George Washington tried to survey it centuries ago with an eye to improving transportation and commerce in his area. One shouldn’t hasten through the swamp, but breathe deeply of the air, admire the spring color, revel in the amazing variety of trees, juniper, sweet gum, cypress, and wonder at the tannic acid color in the water. It’s kind of fun to sleep in a swamp. No bugs, either. I was impressed.
We had beautiful weather in the Swamp, which sort of detracted from its eerie swampy scary movie quality. The first part which we did yesterday was the most beautiful. Today we paralleled several roads and a larger one which looked like Rt. 17 although I need to check my map. We entered the Deep Creek Lock at 1:30 and were out by 2:10. The lockmaster was a charming, knowledgeable young man with a dog named U-Turn. He had a collection of conch shells in his front yard and asked me if we had picked up an extra one in Key West. I was sorry to say I hadn't even gotten one for ourselves.
Note to Cruisers reading this: The Gilmerton Bridge does not operate on the schedule as printed in the 2011 Cruising Guide. Since December 2010, it only opens once an hour, on the half hour. We arrived there at 2:40, thinking we could still call to open on demand since it was before 3:30 when it would be closed for rush hour traffic. We were told the next opening would be at 3:30. Glen called twice. We couldn’t believe it. I called and asked politely about what was written in the book. The bridge tender kindly told me that the rules had changed since the “steel” bridge had been completed last fall. So there we were, motoring around in circles for 40 minutes. But that’s not all. The second bascule bridge for trains closed just before the other one was to open for us. A train went by, and the bridge did not reopen for another hour. It was maddening. It seems there are mechanical problems getting the RR bridge back up and they had to send for help while we waited and waited….
At last we arrived at Tidewater Marina at 5:15, first for pump out and then to our slip at Foxtrot 8. We made a much more polished and dignified approach then the messy we got in last October when we stayed there.
We headed to the Alligator River Marina for fuel. We saw milepost 95—yay, finally fewer than 100 to go on the ICW. The ”marina” is little more than a fuel stop with a Shell station. A pump out costs $17.50. A houseboat from Lawton, OK, was moored there. The boat had “retired Army” on her. The captain told us he had sailed her from the Port of Muskogee.
We lucked out. The Albemarle remained pretty calm all day. She picked up a bit and rolled us side to side after lunch, but gently. By 2:15 Elizabeth City was in sight. I called the Welcome Center to inquire about the free dockage available and was told to just go on in. Unfortunately, when we got there, the good space along a wall was hogged by the trawler Debrief, and all that was left for Sevilla was to enter bow first into a short dock with pilings to tie up to. We were afraid it would damage the boat in the high winds we expected, so we elected to pass up a chance to spend time in this pretty and highly acclaimed town and head toward an anchorage down by the South Mills Lock of the Dismal Swamp, about milepost 33.
We really loved the beautiful ride up the Pasquotank River towards the lock. The Swamp glowed with the intense golden green of early spring and as you look up the river, it continually narrows to a V in the sparkling water of the late afternoon light. I tried to capture the mood in many photos.
A week ago we left Myrtle Beach at mp 346 and how we are at mp 33. 313 miles in one week; and only 33 miles to mp 0 (and another 150 up the Bay).
At 8:00 we left our anchorage to mosey up to South Mills Locke. We had to wait until 8:30 to enter the Lock. We chatted with a couple from the UK around our age who had built their 24 foot wide catamaran, Peace, in Wales. They’ve sailed Peace some 45,000 miles, including Atlantic crossings.
We’re going to stay tonight and tomorrow at Tidewater Marina in downtown Portsmouth. A big front is approaching. But we still have a chance to be home by Holy Saturday. Annapolis is only 150 miles away from Milepost 0 at the Naval Hospital. We were moving so fast the past few days we sort of forgot how the least little thing can screw you over big time.
On April 20, big winds and high seas were forecast; we spent the day sightseeing in Portsmouth.
Still time to make it to Annapolis by Easter. Really.
Best,
Maureen and Glen
April 20, 2011
Portsmouth, VA
April 15-17 Back to a favorite from last fall-- River Dunes, NC
Still no good Internet connect from which to download my photos.
A big, bad, very long barge, actually three of them, full of piping and big earth moving machines, tied together and pushed by a tug, held us up at the Beaufort Channel bridge for at least 30 minutes. So much for our 8 a.m. start. We finally passed “it” and motored up to the “Adams Creek Canal.”
The weather was unsettled all day Sat. We borrowed the courtesy car and drove to Oriental to pick up a few groceries and have coffee at the harbor. There was a boat show in town, but it was starting to cloud up and blow, so we went back to the boat.
We spent Saturday off the boat in the big clubhouse where Glen could watch TV in the Great Room and I worked on blogs in the library access to wireless. We ate lunch upstairs in the dining room overlooking the harbor. It was menacing out.
It blew all day, but no rain, so we went back to the boat and watched a movie. It was getting worse outside. I tuned into NOAA weather on the marine radio on board and heard a tornado warning—we should take cover immediately. I grabbed my rain jacket and purse, a flashlight and headed for the big house. I also put my computer and electronics into the microwave. I have been told it would protect them from lightning strikes. Glen unplugged everything and locked up the boat.
Other sailors, some with young kids, began to gather. The staff stayed after 8:00 to provide us access to the building’s “safe” room—the inner food storage area. Some people went into the interior restrooms.
And we waited. Meanwhile Glen and others were watching play by play weather updates on a local TV stations with very red radar map showing the storm’s path across our part of NC—as it crossed the Neuse River into Pamlico Co, and went north and east of us. It was close, and the devastation was deadly across the state.
We went back to the boat about 10. It was still very windy, with lightning flashes, and some rain, but downpours were over; no hail. Sleep took over.
Sunday, April 17 Happy Birthday, John
Our destination was an anchorage at Belhaven, about milepost 135.7.
I recovered what I could of our soup and put the crockery back into the electric pot. We would have a hot supper. I learned something new today: the definition of “confused seas.” According to the Cruising Guide: “when easterly or westerly winds are strong and gusty, crossing will be stormy and wet.” We may face them again soon.
A big, bad, very long barge, actually three of them, full of piping and big earth moving machines, tied together and pushed by a tug, held us up at the Beaufort Channel bridge for at least 30 minutes. So much for our 8 a.m. start. We finally passed “it” and motored up to the “Adams Creek Canal.”
We were dreading what lay ahead. Our sunny, warm, calm morning, burned into a 15 knot blow by noon. We knew we were in for an “ass whipping” by the angry Neuse River. By 2:10 we were turning towards Broad Creek in a very strong northeast wind of 18-20. Big swells, white caps, 3-4 foot seas were very rough—the nasty Neuse on our nose. This, too, shall pass. She was evil on our way south last November.
We called in for a pump out on arrival. We were assigned a good slip near the club house and facilities between two very large powerboats.
We had planned to ride out a stormy Saturday at beautiful River Dunes. Grace Harbor, about 8 miles northeast of Oriental, NC, is well protected. We knew a bad storm was coming. It began in Oklahoma Thursday where it killed two people Thursday, and tore across eight southern states. Saturday, NC had about 92 tornadoes. It was an evil beast that kept reorganizing and slamming people and things out of the way. Many people died.
In the early morning, Glen was ready to sail Sevilla up the Neuse. Oh great, I thought, the damn river will be meaner than ever. She’d beaten us up pretty badly on Friday, but she was pretty quiet for once, and we made terrific time. We went about 30 miles beyond our destination, Belhaven, and anchored near Daybeacon “43”, milepost 102 on the Alligator River. We had traveled about 72 statute miles—a record for us.
I had made something really exotic in the Crockpot for supper—a Thai curried coconut milk soup with ginger, onions, chicken broth and other good ingredients. It was simmering as we hit the sideways chop of the Pamlico River about noon. Everything went flying as my lovely soup sailed from one side of the pot to another and tsunamied out from under the cover all over the counter and seeped down into the refrigerator locker. What a mess. I put the Crockpot into the sink to save it and started the clean up. We smelled like an Asian restaurant, that’s for sure. I was thankful that our last 10 miles were on the nice, calm, protected Pun go River Canal.
We had a lot of open water ahead of us—the Alligator River and Albemarle Sound—before we would be in the calm river of the Dismal Swamp. I can't wait to see it.
On the edge of the Dismal Swamp,
Maureen and Glen
April 17, 2011
The perfect movie is Cape Fear--Sevilla sails to North Carolina and a trip on the Big Blue
Sorry for the lack of photos. Believe me, I've taken lots, but our Internet connections have been too slow to try and upload them. I'll have to add them later, probably after we arrive home
We had hoped to leave on Monday, but the 15-25 knot winds and 30 percent chance of rain kept us in our slip. We ran some errands and turned in our car. We got better acquainted during Happy Hour at the O’Club with Richard Fieldhouse who was docked next to us in Chris Lea. Rich, from Baltimore, lives on his boat and sails her singlehandedly. He was heading up the ICW and we decided to sail together on Tuesday. I found the movie Cape Fear in a bin at Wal-Mart and bought it for our evening’s entertainment. It was pretty scary.
The weather was beautiful with a soft breeze; not what we feared, at least early. We decided to turn in to St. James when I looked at the sky behind us and saw the predicted storms chasing us—a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms after noon. We had been encouraged to stop at the St. James Plantation development by an acquaintance in Marathon. It was, indeed, very nice. My favorite place, of course, was the charming little restaurant where I had one of best lunches of the whole trip—a great Tuscan tomato soup and salad bar for about $8.00. Very satisfying, especially with thunder crashing all around.
We discussed sailing “outside” from Masonboro to Beaufort with Rich. He was game. We left for Masonboro Boatyard and Marina at 8:25 on Wed, Apr. 13, a gorgeous, calm day. The storms had all gone by and the temps were in the 50s after a chilly night in the 40’s. We were glad to have had heat.
It was only a 23 mile day. We sailed along the very wide and deep Cape Fear River. We had the Jenny up and down quite a bit. There wasn’t much wind.
We passed several of the Carolina Beaches so popular in summer, but only a few fishermen there today. We got to our marina about 1:15. The beach is right across the river. We had a chance to relax before setting out to sea in the early morning. We invited Rich to eat with us—one of the Crock Pot specials with sausage, vegetables and one of Paul Newman special sauces. I made biscuits and mashed potatoes and we drank Rich’s bottle of Sterling Cabernet with dinner in the cockpit. The weather looks super for tomorrow’s big sail.
Sevilla and Chris Lea day trippin’ in the waves of the Big Blue
It was a long, but wonderful day sailing the 81 miles from Masonboro Inlet to Morehead City in the beautiful blue Atlantic in perfect weather.
See you at Easter,
Maureen and Glen April 12-14 Morehead, NC
It was a long, but wonderful day sailing the 81 miles from Masonboro Inlet to Morehead City in the beautiful blue Atlantic in perfect weather.
With Rich Fieldhouse singlehanding Chris Lea, we headed out at sunrise and enjoyed every minute of a fabulous ride. We’re very glad we got to sail “outside” one last time. Masonboro was perfect for an “easy out,” and Morehead City was an “easy in.”
It was a bit bumpy getting out to sea. We could see the coastline. We put both sails up while motorsailing. We had a northeast wind which made it difficult to head East; may have to tack some so we don’t go too far offshore. Rich said the wind would change in our favor about 1:00. And it did. By 3:35 we were within 18 miles of the Beaufort Inlet. At 5:15 I spotted the buoys. At 7:15 we arrived at the marina.
We found Portside Marina managed by a hilarious harbormaster with a PhD from USC in business management. He had worked in Columbia, but decided a few years back to return to the town of his birth. Dr. Denard Harris used a 1976 Ford truck as a gas station and attached his fuel lines from it to the boats. You’ve got to see this to believe it. He talked your arm off, but was as helpful and friendly as he could be. He stayed open late to accommodate us as we came in offshore, and came in early the next morning to help us get off and to say goodbye. His fuel was some of the most expensive we got--$4.09—but the slip was only $1.50 a foot, so I guess it evened out.
Rich, Glen and I had a light supper at a little waterside place called “The Ruddy Duck.” We were all pretty tired so appetizers of Calamares, Amberjack Bites, and a bowl of soup for me, plus a little wine were all we could manage. Tomorrow, we would part ways—Rich to spend a few days in the area, and Sevilla to head north past Oriental to one of our favorite haunts, River Dunes.
A fast time in the slow lane: Charleston, SC (mp 464) to Butler Is. (mp 396) the Waccamaw River, April 3
We left Charleston at 7:00 on Sunday, April 3. The Ben Sawyer Bridge opened on demand before 9:00. It was 45 degrees on a clear, calm, lovely morning. The forecast called for NNE shifting to SSE with a high of 72. Should have record high tomorrow with strong winds. The harbor is quiet at sunrise. Very pretty as we slowly motor past the historic homes along the Battery. Fort Sumter was not flying a flag today. In a few days there would be solemn commemoration of the start of the Civil War.
We could see a lot of erosion along the marshes at low tide. We decided to skip Georgetown. It was almost 5:00 when we called a few marinas. One was full; another had no pump out. The phone service was spotty, so we decided to press on to an anchorage at Butler Island on the Waccamaw River. 68 miles was a record for us.
This island turned out to be a not-so-nice anchorage. The tides were severe and the winds were strong, usually of an opposite direction. We were in more than 20 feet of water and we used a trip line as recommended in the Cruising Guide. Glen worried that the rode appeared to be under the keel in spite of using a kellet. We reset the anchor at 4 a.m. The line kept slipping under the boat. What a night. We checked it at daylight, and lo and behold, the line was straight out ahead of the bow as it should be. In retrospect, we should have used two anchors. The extreme tides along the rivers starting with Georgia have been quite powerful.
And to make the evening still more memorable, Cap'n Glen tossed our stainless Dutch part-of-a-nesting-set oven overboard when he emptied it of soup. It sailed down the river faster than we could say, "Grab the net." We thought it might be up to Myrtle Beach way before we could get there.
Osprey was just 23 miles away, at mp 373.3. The marina charges a mere $1.00 a foot. The fuel was also one of the cheapest, at $3.80 a gallon. The floating docks were one of the many that presented a problem for me to get on and off the boat during tidal extremes. You can see from the photo the steep angle of the ramp to the docks. There was no cell service although the marina provided wireless Internet. We took it easy that day, settling for pork and sauerkraut in the Crock Pot. Very tasty.
A restaurant called “Scatori’s” had an arrangement to pick up dinner customers at the marina, take them to the restaurant; give them time to shop for groceries next door, and bring them back. We enjoyed an excellent Italian “early bird special,” and we had a chance to reprovision. Osprey offered excellent accommodations: lovely showers and laundry, very helpful personnel, excellent pump out and fuel service and a peaceful environment in the forest.
The kids arrived Friday night, picked up their car and met us at their “Bay Watch” hotel in North Myrtle Beach, about ten minutes from where we were staying. We took them to Norman’s place for a lovely dinner on the veranda overlooking the ICW. The weather was great for outdoor dining and the view was a real treat for all of us. David treated us to dinner—he and I had lobster, his favorite.
The guys enjoyed their golf match Saturday while Kate and I sat on the balcony of her room, drinking coffee and reveling in the ocean views on a sunny morning. We had lots to talk about as we got reacquainted. When we got ambitious enough to put on swim suits and go out, the weather had gotten cooler and windy, so we had to stay covered up while we searched in vain for a protected place to lay out by the pool. The only place to eat lunch nearby was the sports bar that opened at noon. Food there was a disappointment, to put it politely. And there was cigarette smoke. Back to our haven upstairs.
This island turned out to be a not-so-nice anchorage. The tides were severe and the winds were strong, usually of an opposite direction. We were in more than 20 feet of water and we used a trip line as recommended in the Cruising Guide. Glen worried that the rode appeared to be under the keel in spite of using a kellet. We reset the anchor at 4 a.m. The line kept slipping under the boat. What a night. We checked it at daylight, and lo and behold, the line was straight out ahead of the bow as it should be. In retrospect, we should have used two anchors. The extreme tides along the rivers starting with Georgia have been quite powerful.
The Waccamaw River has the reputation as one of the prettiest along the Waterway. Its stately trees grow out of the water along the shores reflecting the sparkling morning sunlight. No boat traffic to disturb our mood, as we unwound from our overnight worries. We were glad for the short ride to Osprey Marina where we could rest up for a few days before the week at Myrtle Beach and the reunion with David and Kate.
Osprey was just 23 miles away, at mp 373.3. The marina charges a mere $1.00 a foot. The fuel was also one of the cheapest, at $3.80 a gallon. The floating docks were one of the many that presented a problem for me to get on and off the boat during tidal extremes. You can see from the photo the steep angle of the ramp to the docks. There was no cell service although the marina provided wireless Internet. We took it easy that day, settling for pork and sauerkraut in the Crock Pot. Very tasty.
After two comfortable days at Osprey, we moved on up the river to the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, our new home for the next 6 nights. That would be a short trip as well, only 24.6 miles, passing several golf courses, two of which, Myrtlewood and Palmetto, were the courses David had set up for the guys to play over the weekend. We also passed the Barefoot Landing with the huge condominium complex that had been completed since our last visit; and we got a riverside look at Greg Norman’s Australian Grille, one of the spots we will take Davo and Kate for dinner. We got a look at “Grande Dunes”, a luxe resort development that we had considered for our stay this week. It didn’t look like anything special from the ICW, although the condos look nice; there were only a few sailboats in the marina though. We passed under gondolas ferrying golfers across the river. In all, lots of new, upscale developments and golf courses.
There was hardly a soul in sight most of the way—the “Rock pile”—a narrow, rock lined stretch of the ICW went on for 15 miles and we were glad we didn’t meet a trawler. Myrtle Beach Yacht comes to us highly recommended by the Blisses. In Little River, above North Myrtle Beach, it is an excellent marina with floating docks, pump out station at your slip; a helpful staff; nice showers and a changing room. The laundry was good and the computer station was located nearby so you could surf while waiting for laundry. We got a weekly rate for around $290.00, so that was pretty reasonable daily charge.
One of the nicest features was a small restaurant called “The Officers’ Club” located upstairs. The food is delicious—an Italian flavor, everything fresh, a creative chef who comes up with specials daily. We enjoyed Bloody Mary’s and lunch there a couple of times and brought David and Kate there for Saturday night’s dinner.
We rented a car from Enterprise for the week, so we headed just across the highway to a pretty golf course called “Eagle Nest” where Glen and I played twice to tune up for the father-son match over the weekend. Azaleas were blooming everywhere, as were the flowering trees.
We all enjoyed our super dinner at the Officers’ Club where we received special attention from Mike. the owner. We had two orders of a wonderful Mussels dish; David and I shared an amazing Crab Pot; Glen a wonderful salmon with a bourbon, brown sugar and orange sauce. Kate liked her blackened snapper. It was a great evening.
The weather turned gray and cold Sunday morning, but that didn’t stop the intrepid golfers. I have given up believing in a forecast of four good days straight. The fourth day in a southern spring seems to turn nasty every time. Dressed in jeans and jackets, Kate and I did get out for a long stroll along the beach Sunday morning. The boys endured rain and wind, but fought to a draw in their match. No money changed hands that day. We met at a sports bar where we watched some of the Master’s over a late lunch while waiting for the inevitable farewells before they headed to the airport and we went back to the marina.
This rendezvous was the high point of our long journey home. Now all we want to do is get through the next 500 miles as quickly as Sevilla can make it.
Hope we can be in Annapolis by Easter.
Best,
Maureen and Glen
April 12, 2011
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