A circumnavigation begins with hauling the anchor

Our night at Ft Pierce was very pleasant. The temperature was warm, there was a nice moon and just a light breeze. Our planned destination was Spanish Cay in the Abacos where we had a reservation for our first night once we cleared customs there and we expected that it would take us about 24 hours to get there. Since they didn’t open until 8 we really didn’t need to leave early despite the desire to get underway. The slack water after high tide would be about 0900 and forecasts were for the seas to come down during the day so we planned to get underway about 0830.

Our last sunset in the US.

With a nice warm sun and light NE wind we brought up the anchor and slid out the channel very quickly with the outgoing current. Since the anchorage was very close it didn’t take long to get out. Once safely out of the channel we headed southeast. The western wall of the Gulf Stream was about 18 miles east of Ft Pierce but closer in the south so we estimated 3 hours at 7 knots we should hit current and then we would turn due east and maybe slightly north so as not to fight the current. Forecasts also were for the current to be very light where we were crossing so we shouldn’t be pushed far to the north.

Those first 3 hours were uneventful. For once, the forecasts seemed to be correct and as expected right about 3 hours out we started to see current so we turned due east with the swells now coming more ahead of us and the wind continuing its decline. As planned we motored east for about 4 hours as the swell continued to decline and we stopped moving north so we turned southeast once again and headed for a waypoint called “The Little Bahama Bank” which is just north of some reefs and Memory Rock. In all I don’t think the stream pushed us more than a mile north so we had little ground to makeup and the seas were calming. Of the 5 crossings of the Gulf Stream I’ve done this was the most benign. We did have dolphins swimming with us on occasion that added some excitement watching from the bow as they swam through the bow wave and back and forth under the keel.

Florida in the rearview mirror.

It was dark when we got on to the Bahama Bank but it is mostly wide open water about 20’ deep. So we set out a route based on waypoints in the Explorer Charts to navigate our way through the upcoming shoals and cays. About 0300 we began to see lights on islands so we knew we were getting close. As the sun rose we could see Spanish Cay and then motored in a few minutes after 0800 as expected. A successful crossing albeit by motor but we each got some good rest and were ready for the day. This would be our last overnight until we leave the Bahamas in the spring to head to Jamaica after having done 4 nights offshore since leaving Beaufort.

Spanish Cay Marina scenes.

First order of business was to clear in through Bahamian customs and immigration. Spanish Cay is the only place to do that in the Abacos outside Marsh Harbor and we wanted to make some other stops before Marsh Harbor so we elected to clear in there. Afterwards we had a champagne brunch to celebrate the crossing and after a short nap went to the beach to enjoy the beautiful day.

Our champagne breakfast celebrating our arriving in the Bahamas.

Our swimming beach.

Next morning we traveled on to Green Turtle Cay and went ashore to visit New Plymouth Town and hope for Asian food but the takeaway was closed for Monday. Oh well. Then on Tuesday morning on schedule we moved on to Marsh Harbor for a 2 month sojourn over the holidays, some relaxation and an unhurried opportunity to do some long overdue boat chores. But on the way we had to pass through Whale Cay Cut or “The Whale” as it is known. The Whale is rather infamous around the Abacos as it is open to the northeast and when winds blow from that direction it “rages” and is unpassable. Sometimes it may be weeks before it can be traversed but we were able to cross over very smoothly and went on in to Marsh Harbor.

Looking NW from the Whale Cut.

Looking SE from the Whale Cut.

Infamous Whale Cay as we were giving the passage report to the Abaco Cruisers Net.

With no wind or current getting in our slip was easy and then began the cleanup tasks and preparing to leave the boat to fly back to the US for Thanksgiving. The weather began to deteriorate as expected and rain moved in for the night. But during a lull in the rain we walked around the end of the Bay to Snappa’s for a happy hour celebration.

Celebrating Marsh Harbor at Snappa's.

Our final port before departure

Although we got behind because of Hurricane Matthew we made it into Jacksonville with over a week before we would need to leave. Our original plan called for us to be in St Augustine for over 2 weeks before leaving. So now with shopping lists still being developed and work items being identified we got into Jacksonville on Sunday 30 October with big things to do.

But before we got down to it we spent the day relaxing after the overnight passage and enjoyed the pool and hot tub at the marina while visiting with other boaters. After the hurricane and the damage done to St Augustine we decided to look for a place where we could be sure of getting berthing at a reasonable rate and provide access to the facilities we needed.

Taking a dip in the pool while recovering from the passage from Charleston.

Last year friends of ours stayed at Ortega Landing Marina along the Ortega River just off the St John's River south of downtown Jacksonville and we knew it was very nice. So we were excited when we were able to get a slip there for the time we needed. There are also lots of live aboards there including the son and cousin of our good friend Skip Maiden. Going down the river was a haul but with the current it went quickly but spending time at Ortega Landing was very enjoyable.

Ominous looking clouds over the marina but nothing materialized.

Our first order of business was to get Linda's DOD ID card renewed because it expired on 11/1/2016. We were able to score an appointment and after getting our rental car drove to Jacksonville Naval Air Station and very quickly got that chore done. Then we drove down to Green Cove Springs to our "home" and retrieve our mail and packages that had been accumulating. But the next big thing was a birthday celebration. We went out to dinner at Tip Tum Thai a great local Thai restaurant and ended the day at bb's Bistro for desert. I had a piece of coconut cake. What a treat!!!!

But Tuesday started our shopping in earnest. We left the marina and went to the shopping region in Jacksonville. We made stops at Bed, Bath and Beyond; Best Buy; West Marine; Total Wine; Pennzey's and Trader Joe's and returned to the boat with a car full of things to stow.  Provisioning for years away isn't easy. We bought stuff that can be packed and hopefully will last but at some point the stores will exhaust and we will need to go to local purchase wherever that is.

Wednesday started out with a work task going to the local Social Security Office to address a Medicare issue but then we drove to St Augustine to meet our old friend Dave Sikes for lunch and hanging out. On our way back we stopped at home in Green Cove Springs so Linda could pick up her official Cubs World Series Shirt to wear for the last 2 games of the series.

Linda shows off her Cubs World Series T-shirt at Tip Tim Thai Restaurant.

The next several days involved working on inventorying and stowing our purchases and accomplishing boat tasks. At night we watched the world series games. Finally on Thursday night we saw the Chicago Cubs win their first World Series since 1908!!!! The lovable losers won ending the longest drought in baseball with a team that was young, energetic and well managed. The final game was exciting and drew in fans who probably hadn't watched a baseball game in years.

For the weekend we drove down to Sanford to visit my daughter and her family. She and her husband were both sick so we spent as much time as we could without being taxing on them. It's always wonderful to see them and their kids. All my grand kids are doing so well I am so happy for them.

Visiting with the grand kids Ethan and Hunter.

We spent the final few days doing last minute shopping, stowing, working and planning as we went. Like last minute Christmas shoppers we ran out for each thing as we thought of it until we ran out of thoughts. Of course Tuesday night, November 8 we watched the election results. I never make political comments in our blog or Facebook but I was excited to see the country reject the Clinton's. I was on active duty in the Army in the 1990's and I believe the country could not afford 8 more years of them. We'll see how Mr. Trump does but I'm optimistic.

On Monday night the 7th of November we had a real treat. We were visited by a former work colleague and his wife, Rod and Gina Thomas who currently live in Wyoming but are selling out and going to move aboard a sailboat which they have to buy. They were in Florida taking a learn to sail class from Bluewater Sailing School. It was great seeing them after 3 years.

At dinner with Rod and Gina at bb's Bistro.

As we have along the way our focus was on the weather. Crossing the Gulf Stream requires a good weather window and sailors to the Bahamas fret over this. It looked like conditions did not favor us so we engaged our weather routers Dane and Jennifer Clark to help us. Our original plan was to leave Jacksonville and do 2 overnights and go straight to the Abacos by whatever was the most advantageous (read least bad option) route. After a couple of quick discussions we finally focused on leaving Jacksonville Thursday and staying in close to avoid really rough seas and then crossing over Saturday when seas seemed the least. So we finalized our plans to go down the coast to Ft Pierce to get fuel and spend Friday night with crossing over to the Bahamas on Saturday. We determined we could easily make Spanish Cay on Sunday morning early and do our check-in.

Our final lunch before heading out at Fuji Sushi.

Finally with as much shopping as we could do at the regular stores, the NAS Commissary, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Total Wine we prepared to depart early Thursday the 10th of November. We had 3 challenges getting out of the marina. The first was the Ortega River Bridge which we learned operated 24 hours a day. The next was the Main Street Bridge over the St John's which was on limited schedule and had a scheduled opening for 0645 during the week. The final was the current. High tide was scheduled at Ortega River about 0615 although the current changes there about 2 hours after high tide. So looking at our challenges, we decided to leave about 0515 to get through the Ortega Bridge, wait for the Florida East Coast Railroad bridge if necessary, make the 0645 opening at Main Street and catch the current outgoing within the hour.

The sun was rising over downtown as we were waiting for the bridge.

We left our slip about 0515, got through the Ortega bridge, had to wait for a train at the RR bridge and made the 0646 opening. We slogged through current for less than an hour and our trip out the river from that point was as quick as coming in. By 0930 we were in the ocean and heading south to Ft Pierce. The seas were rolly but behind us after we turned and we had an eventful trip down the coast to FT Pierce.

Sunset just north of Daytona Beach.

Moonset over Cape Canaveral.

We ran in the Ft Pierce inlet with a slight outgoing current. We stopped at the Ft Pierce City Marina for fuel and then went across the ICW and dropped the anchor for a very nice quiet evening recovering from our just completed overnight and to prepare for our gulf stream crossing. Was a beautiful quiet night and the beautiful setting showed why we love this life. Tomorrow we leave the country on the first leg of our multi-nation cruise.

Our final sunset in the US from our anchorage in Ft Pierce.

Exploring Charleston

On our past trips south we bypassed Charleston being far offshore on direct passages to Florida. This year because we didn’t expect to be back north for several years we decided to make additional stops along the way. We had planned to be in Charleston almost 2 weeks although part of the time we would be leaving the boat there while we visited Chicago. But, along came Hurricane Matthew and we ended up getting to Charleston after we expected that we would be leaving there. But we allocated 4 days to explore one of the treasures of the southern US.

When we got to Charleston we had some important work to accomplish. We needed to get the radar working, our in-cabin chart-plotter working, fix our autopilot and replace the TV after suffering damage during the wild ride of the trip here. Replacing the TV was time sensitive as Tuesday was the first game of the World Series for the Chicago Cubs on network TV. So we made a trip to Best Buy and got a replacement TV that fit the installation for the old TV thereby making the replacement easier but the screws needed to be replaced but at least we had TV.

Our first view of Charleston coming in the harbor just after dawn.

Our friend Dave Sikes came in just before us and anchored across from the marina for the first night. He then came in the marina and had to leave but we got together for dinner and happy hour on Friday night.

We used an Uber to go to Best Buy that turned out to be a treat. Our Uber driver was a French born woman that had lived in Charleston about 2 years but lived many other places around the world. She was an absolute delight with giving us ideas for local sights to see. She waited for us while we bought our TV and then drove us back to the marina. Having heard about prices of cabs in Charleston the fare was very reasonable. 

Sunset our first night.

The next morning (Wednesday) I contacted the Charleston Boatyard at their office on-site about making the other repairs. After waiting all day an electronics guy came and found the problem with the in-cabin chart-plotter to be a broken wire but couldn’t find the radar issue. After he left the radar worked. I suspect there is an issue with either the network bus or our cockpit chart-plotter which we will only find when it fails. He did come back and install a software update to our chart-plotter which still has us confused and has really messed up our Bahama charts. It’s not enough the hurricane changed the landscape, now we have charts that screwy. The tiller pin in the autopilot sheared off from the stress and it was able to be welded together to work but I have ordered new ones from the factory.

We came to Charleston for fun and we really enjoyed the visit. Walking around the streets of the historic district was quite fascinating as so much of southern US history and culture is rooted there. Charleston was a key city during the American Revolution and a key colonial port. The first shots of the US Civil War were fired at Charleston harbor attacking Fort Sumter, still a landmark in the harbor. Charleston’s market dates back to just after the revolution and is a lot like historic markets in Boston and New Orleans.

View of the yard of a home near the marina.

Another yard in the same neighborhood.

The front of the Charleston Market.

The historic US Custom House.

We found several wonderful places for enjoyable dining. In the French Quarter is a wonderful patisserie. The almond croissants at Christophe’s Artisan Patisserie were outstanding along with everything else we had there. We had dinner Thursday night at an excellent farm-to-table restaurant, The MacIntosh, where the food was all supplied from local farmers and producers with everything well prepared. The truffle fries were addicting.

Christophe's Artisan Patisserie.

Enjoying happy hour at the Republic Garden.

McIntosh's Restaurant.

Queology an excellent "Que" place down by the Market.

Iconic Charleston.

Additional antebellum homes.

Interesting Hallowe'en decorations.

Another beautiful home.

So after completing our repairs and experiencing a short but pleasant stay it was time to head further south to Jacksonville. We left our slip just about slack tide on Saturday 29 October and were able to catch the outgoing current all the way out to sea and get a good start on our trip south.

The passage to Jacksonville was fairly benign without the trauma and tragedy of the passage to Charleston.  We entered the St John’s River in the dark but it is a wide commercial channel and easy to navigate. We had the current with us going in and made the 30 mile trip to our marina in what seemed like very quick time. We had to wait for the Main Street lift bridge but we still got to the Marina before it opened at noon and got into our slip in time to nap before getting to work.

We arrived in Jacksonville on October 30 after leaving Oxford, MD on 23 September. But much happened on those intervening weeks and now in Jacksonville our last US port of call to prepare for our overseas adventure.

Whoever said getting there is half the fun?

After analyzing the weather and currents we decided to leave Cherry Point on Sunday 23 October for Charleston. Planning an itinerary is difficult when the distance is too much for one day but not enough for two which was the case going from Cherry Point to Charleston. If we left early in the morning the day of departure we would probably get to Charleston sometime in the overnight the following day. So with an eye toward currents we decided to leave Cherry Point early afternoon on Sunday that would get us into Charleston Tuesday morning but not too early.

Surveying the weather it looked like we might have favorable winds to sail with a slight chop all that would be very welcome. So after saying goodbye to my son Jeremy and his wife Regina we made ready and departed about 1400 Sunday afternoon knowing that we would be offshore before dark.

We had a favorable current going down the Neuse River but caught the end of the incoming tide in much of Adams Creek. As we got into the Newport River the tide turned and we motored very quickly offshore aided by the current as darkness began to fall. The forecast was for West or Northwest winds that would have been very favorable but as we came down the Newport River I sensed they were more Southwest as the morning TV weatherman had forecasted so I was hoping things might change once we got offshore.

Passing Fort Macon, NC just off Morehead City, NC.

Once we got offshore I tried to turn on the radar because several of the marks in the Beaufort shipping channel were off station and a dredging operation was setup offshore. I found that our radar was not reporting. It worked fine earlier in the week but I had not checked it the day before we left. To make matters worse the wind was squarely southwest in the direction we were headed and the chop was coming straight at us. Over the night we took wave after wave over the bow and at times were only able to make 2-3 kts. So I pulled out the mainsail and fell off to get some lift and we powered our way on crossing the Frying Pan Shoals early in the morning. Once through the shoals we turned due west and pulled out the staysail for additional power in an effort to get closer to shore for less chop.

Sunset offshore of NC before the surf began to build.

Crossing the shoals took us far offshore so it was a long slog back into shore. With the heavy surf I didn't want to chance cutting the shoal in areas where there are reported 4-5' depths and it would have been dark trying to go into Masonboro Inlet with the rough seas so we opted to go on outside. Once we turned the seas continued higher. The predicted 2-3' seas were easily 6-8' with some waves higher. In our slog back in we lost a boat hook (second one this year) and our autohelm broke.  With our autopilot disabled we had to hand steer the rest of the way to Charleston (about another 24 hours) but I was able to trim up the sails and use the wheel break to hold close to course and by mid-afternoon we were close to shore and much calmer seas.

We heard cruisers on the radio who were trying to come offshore talking to each other and they were all turning around and staying inside on the ICW because of the rough conditions. We got a radio call from our good friend Dave Sikes who was on the inside and looking to come out and he made it out at Little River Inlet and we followed him all the way to Charleston.

The remainder of the trip was uneventful and the wind finally switched and we were able to sail for about 5 hours overnight until time to turn in the channel at Charleston where we pulled down the sails. We could have and should have sailed in but I'm reluctant to sail in channels I'm not familiar with that have lots of commercial traffic such as Charleston so we motored to our slip arriving about 930 .




Sailing in to Charleston Harbor under nice sun after a rough passage.

We made it successfully but with more damage than ever before due to the rough seas. We lost a boathook, we had no radar, we lost our autohelm and in at least one of the waves we submarined we took water through the dorades that killed our TV. For a one day offshore trip we did not anticipate such bad conditions based on the forecast and it cost us. In Charleston we could get it fixed before continuing on so we had a work schedule for when we got there.

But, we're in Charleston and time to enjoy.

Danger gone all things righted time for a road trip we're all excited

After the fact for us Hurricane Matthew became a non-event very quickly. Sunday afternoon the sun came out but it stayed breezy for several days. Not so fortunate for other places and some not so far away. My daughter in Florida and son right here had no damage but areas we planned to visit and areas not far from here were devastated. We thank God we had no damage and pray for those who did.

Prepared for the storm.

Looking out during the storm.

We had one order of business after the storm that had been scheduled several days earlier. We had an unusual odor from our generator once when starting so we called for a repair. The repairman came out Monday after the storm but so he could check out the genset I had to remove everything from our 2 cockpit lockers for him to do his work. Then add to this the prep we had done for the storm and our boat was crowded and confused. The mechanics review didn't take long and we discussed some repairs and he was gone. Now we had the challenge to stage the boat for the rest of the day and then change it in the morning when we leave.

Driving in Virginia headed into West Virginia.

For some time we had planned to head to Chicagoland about the 11th of October for some family events. We had planned to leave the boat in Charleston and make the trip but with the storm we opted to stay at Cherry Point so now we are and ready to leave from here. On Tuesday morning we got up early and rearranged the boat so the mechanic could have free and easy access to the genset to do the repairs needed and then we headed off to Chicago.

First stop was in Champaign, IL to celebrate Seth's birthday on October 12th. We arrived shortly after noon and settled in for our few days stay. After Seth finished work we drove over to Gibson City, a small town about 30 miles away for dinner at a German Restaurant- Bayern Stube at Seth's request. A bit unusual since none of us eat like that usually so a special treat for his birthday.

At dinner with Seth.

Thursday we had the chance to again meet up with a college classmate, Greg Haugens and his lovely wife Valerie at another great Champaign restaurant, Desthil. We also met Greg about a year ago in Champaign and we enjoyed the time catching up. It's always great to see friends from so many years ago but it's like nothing to catch-up right where we left off. Hopefully Greg and Val will come visit us down island.

Dinner with Greg and his lovely wife Val.

We also used some free time in Champaign to do some shooting at an indoor range. Would like to shoot more to stay in practice but time and opportunity usually restrict that.

So after our birthday celebration and reunion we headed to Chicago for more family events.

On Saturday the 15th Linda's brother had a surprise birthday party thrown for him by his wife at Nieto's Restaurant in Highland Park, Il. It was great to see and catch-up with many family members who came to the party. We plan to travel back to Chicagoland for Thanksgiving so we'll get to do it all again.

Family at Stuart's birthday party.

But the big event was Linda's dad Al Lee being honored by the Chicago Blackhawks at their game on the 18th of October. Linda's Dad at 96 is among the few surviving WWII vets. Al was sponsored by Dan Harrington who had been the manager of the Brookdale facility where Al had been living. Dan is an avid hockey player and knew about the program and nominated Al for being honored.

Al and Linda at the United Center with Dan Harrington who sponsored Al for the night at the Blackhawks..

At the game Al, who had to be in a wheelchair, was rolled onto the ice and along with another veteran and an active duty service member stood for the playing of the National Anthem  with spotlights on them and being honored by all the fans. After the honor was over and Al was being wheeled away a referee skated over and gave him a game puck to thank him for his service. During the game that Al thoroughly enjoyed many people came over and shook his hand and thanked him. As we were wheeling out many other people thanked and honored him.

All the service veterans being honored on the ice.

Linda's Dad, Al Lee as seen on TV.

With the festivities over we planned to head back home. After one last visit with Linda's Dad we hit the road for an uneventful trip back to Cherry Point.

We noticed leaves changing indicating Fall was fast approaching and highlighting the need for us to get on south. Going through the higher elevations along the route it looked like winter would be here soon although the temperatures remained friendly.

Getting back to the boat and ready to go.

This was about our 6th or 7th trip off the boat since we moved aboard and each time it's fun and we get excited but we miss our home at sea and miss the close comfort of being together and afloat. It feels normal and sleeping on a bed that isn't moving feels odd. So as excited as we were to do the road trip, we're happy to be home to visit my son again and moving on south with all the danger gone to stay warm.