"All I want for Christmas is BACON!" |
After four years of exploring the Eastern Caribbean, the NE coast of South America and the Western Caribbean we are now cruising the East Coast of the US, Bahamas, and Mexico.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Christmas in St. Augustine
While we love Charleston, as with all places there comes a “right time” to
leave. Upon leaving Charleston, we found
the weather unfavorable for sailing on the “outside” and opted to use the
Atlantic Inter-Coastal Waterway for sections of our journey.
Beaufort, SC Waterfront |
We took a few days to reach Beaufort, SC
where we anchored out for a few nights and explored a beautiful southern town
with magnificent homes and a vibrant downtown.
After enjoying Beaufort we tucked in behind Hilton Head Island in Skull
Creek where we were treated to a magnificent sunset at anchor in a little creek
among the marshy wetland.
Beaufort, SC |
Georgia’s barrier islands protect it from
the onslaught of Atlantic storms and hurricanes. We tucked in behind St. Simon’s and Jekyll
Island in the port of Brunswick for three days of marina living. Here Sherrie, the dock master, skillfully
guided us into a slip and took good care of us. The marina provided freebies
including WiFi, laundry, bicycles, pumpout, and most importantly beer and wine! Jason and our three-year-old grandson, Liam, joined
us for a few days of touring the barrier islands and walking on the miles of
beach. A three-year-old onboard added a new level of energy to the pace we are
accustomed to but we love introducing him to our nautical lifestyle.
Due to more inclement weather, we navigated
the ICW to the southernmost barrier island, Cumberland Island, part of the
National Seashore. Pristine maritime forests, Live
Oaks dripping with Spanish moss, undeveloped beaches and wide marshes bring
visitors close to nature. Aboriginal peoples, missionaries, slaves and wealthy
industrialists all lived here at one time or another. In the early 1880s,
Thomas Carnegie and his wife, Lucy, came to the island and established the family
home, Dungeness. Only ruins remain
but they offer a window into the way the elite lived at the turn of the century. Lucy Carnegie was friendly with Thomas Edison
Dungenous Ruins Cumberland I., Ga. |
and she had a DC power plant constructed to provide the estate with electricity
and she also had a 600’ deep artesian well drilled bringing in ample fresh
water. She was an interesting woman ahead of her time in many ways. Here’s a
link to a PDF file for more information about Lucy and Dungeness: http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/cuis/dilsaver/chap2.pdf
Arriving in St. Augustine for the holidays
feels wonderful. Over
2.5 million Christmas lights
Ponce De Leon Hotel (now part of Flagler College) St. Augustine, Fl. |
transform the nation’s oldest city into a charming
holiday destination. We were thrilled by a second visit
from Jason, saw Star Wars in 3D at an IMAX, and were joined by Lois and Grant
for a fun day. Family visits make our
travels much more meaningful and enjoyable.
We are looking forward to celebrating
Christmas with friends just south of here and wish you all the best for the new
year.
Richard & Kay
More Pics
At anchor on the ICW |
St. Simon Island, Ga. |
St. Simon Island, Ga. |
Jackal Island -National Seashore |
Cumberland Island, GA |
Got Bourbon? St. Augustine Distilleries |
Richard-Kay-Jason St. Augustine |
Grant, Lois and Kay St. Augustine |
St. Augustine |
Monday, December 7, 2015
Charleston and Points South
We arrived in Charleston after a two-day
motor from Beaufort (pronounced boe-fort) NC. Never had we experienced the open
ocean so flat and so calm. Great for
comfort, not so good for sailing.
Despite 38 hours of motoring and 2 hours of sailing, Atalanta only
consumed 38 gallons of fuel. Thick fog
surrounded us as we neared Charleston and we entered the harbor as the sun
rose. We attached our lines to the
“Megadock” at Charleston City Marina where we remained for a month.
Charleston is rich with history, culture,
art and food. The coastline along the city side of the Ashley River boasts
lovely colonial mansions lining “The Battery” – named during the long ago days when cannons protected the city. We
spent as much of our time as possible time visiting Jason and Liam, our 3-year-old
grandson. What a treat to be greeted
with smiles and hugs when we picked him up at daycare and to get more hugs and
kisses at bedtime. We shared
Thanksgiving at Jason’s house with friends from South Africa that we met in
Grenada over a year ago.
Atalanta refused to be ignored and
presented us with her Christmas list: new house batteries, a new anchor/tri-color
light for the top of the mast (Richard was up there for 3 hours installing it),
and lots of varnishing.
Capt. Ed's ride |
Cruising down the ICW |
While docked, we had an opportunity to meet
some of our neighbors including Captain Ed aboard a165-foot yacht. We were impressed with what $50 million will
buy and decided we shouldn’t really be complaining about the repairs and
maintenance Atalanta requires. She would probably fit inside the engine room
Capt. Ed is responsible for.
Beaufort, SC |
On December 6th we unplugged the
electric line, disconnected the cable tv, cast off the dock lines and meandered
down the inter-coastal waterway. Traveling
30-40 miles a day for two days, landed us in the charming town of Beaufort (pronounced bew-fort), SC which has a rich southern history and has been the locale for many Hollywood movies. We picked up a mooring and will spend two days relaxing here before heading south in search of warmer weather and new destinations.
Thanks for following
Richard and Kay
More Pics
Beaufort, SC |
Thalia (185 feet) |
Kay and Jason |
Kay at the helm |
Beaufort, SC |
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