Miles: 41.2 Hours: 6.0 S/M: 50.0
Total Miles: 129.2 Total Hours: 21.3
It was a cold morning. The weather app reported 39 degrees. Thankfully, no wind. Pete did engine checks and everything looked good. We started the engine and let her run for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, we got ready for departure. We pulled away from the dock just before the 8 o’clock bridge opening. Initially, we were uncertain as the temperature gauge climbed little bit higher than it has been running. We decided to keep going and, sure enough, she’s stabilized just about 175 degrees. The engine sounds great.
Lots of barge traffic this morning and a couple of sculls out on the water training and practicing. The light was really pretty. There was low mist upon the water and the leaves are definitely changing. I hope I captured what I saw. As for birds, I actually saw three eagles. Unfortunately, they’re not great to capture with the cell phone and I didn’t have my camera ready. There were also bigger, heavier, noisier birds and they were doing “touch and goes” from the naval base.
Sunrise over the ICW
When Coinjock dockmaster called, I was so happy to report that we were underway. We would finally get to see them in five hours. They have been extremely gracious and accommodating. It looks like today’s The Day! We are going to celebrate by having prime rib at the restaurant, tonight! It is well deserve after the two weeks we’ve had.
Belhaven Marina has no room. Reservations were made for Dowry Creek in Belhaven tomorrow. It will be a very long day, not including the extra hour it would have taken to get to Belhaven Marina. We also tried to make reservations for the following day at Homer Smith in Beaufort, but they, too, had no openings. Instead, we made a 2-day reservation at Moorhead City Yacht Basin. We need to run errands.
I walked Tillie once we were docked. The sailboat behind us had 2 beautiful and precocious children. Jack is 8 and Anna is 5. They loved Tillie and accompanied me on the walk. Once back, as I was taking down the readings, Anna and her mom stopped by. Anna asked to see our boat. Apparently, that is one of her favorite things to do. It also gave her an excuse to fuss over Tillie some more. They are traveling from Michigan to the Bahamas. This is their first cruise. The kids are really enjoying the cruising as well as learning about new places, meeting new people, as well as checking out other boats!
The Prime Rib dinner was the best we have ever had in Coinjock. Not as much fat and grizzle as previous dinners. The meat was perfectly cooked and even though we had the smaller Mate’s Cut (14-16 oz), we both have half of our steaks leftover for another meal – 2 meals, if I serve it as open face sandwiches!
Sunday 10/2/25 ~ Coinjock to Belhaven, NC
Miles: 81 Hours: 8.1 S/M: 131.8
Total Miles: 201.2 Total Hours: 29.4
Last night the clocks fell back. It was great having the extra hour of sleep and could still leave by 6 am, which now had the skies beginning to lighten.
We really searched the area, but could not find a trace of the “giant beaver” dam that we have seen since we started cruising in 2010. Flooding must have washed its remains away! I knew the general area, but there was not even a clue in sight that it had ever existed.
Shortly after exiting the canal, the sprinkles returned, only this time it got heavier, and darkness descended due to the time change. It took another 30 minutes for the rain to show up on WeatherBug’s radar. New Bern showed rains, but nothing to the NE, where we were coming down the AP Canal. It finally populated on our WeatherBug App. We suspect that the local radar was temporarily out of service.
Monday 11/3/25 ~ Belhaven, to Morehead City, NC
Miles: 70.0 Hours: 9.8 S/M: 203.0
Total Miles: 271.2 Total Hours: 39.2
We entered Goose Creek/Pamlico River cut around 9:15, cruising around 7.4 mph. We were passed shortly after by a 60-foot sports fish, easily doing 30. We never heard him coming or announce his intensions. He left barely enough room for us to turn into his wake.
Once again, we found the mentioned deadhead near Hobucken USCG, right in the middle of the channel. Someone heading south at speed, would definitely pierce the hull.
Crossing the Neuss River was gray, raw and rainy. Winds from our aft allowed is to cruise at 7.8 without the sail. On Adams Creek we did 9.5! The current was already changing, but near the bridge, we hit 9.6! WOOHOO!!!
We spotted out first of many dolphins while crossing Harlowe Creek approaching the bridge in Morehead City. We encountered about four or five large pods. One dolphin had found great joy tossing about an 8-inch fish, jumping after it, only to toss it again and again.
We tied up around 4:45. They placed us in the inside of A-dock, in a 60-ft slip meant for one of the "Big Boys", one of the 50-foot +,Viking sportfish yachts. In order for us to have the electrical cords reach from the center of the slip on the main dock to our aft, required us to be cattycornered in the slip. It worked, but made getting Tillie on and off the boat a real challenge. It was too wide between the dock and the enclosure opening for her to jump. For Pete and I, it was a substantial step of about 18 inches. We topped off fuel & water and will be staying in this slip tomorrow. Pete has meetings throughout the day and then we need to provision.
Tonight's full moon
Pete took the laundry and worked on the pre-meeting items that needed addressing. I was able to really clean, removing all the dirt and grime the mechanics stirred up (again). The floors finally were scrubbed and our new area rugs I put down look great.
The meeting went fine, but as usual, there are more adjustments Pete and George will need to do tomorrow.
Shortly before 3, we went up to get the loaner car we reserved yesterday. That’s when we found out our name never made the list and various other reservations took up all the afternoon slots. Thankfully, the dockmaster allowed us to use it after hours.
We were given the keys around 5:30. Pete had already uncoupled the propane tank. He was shocked to find it almost empty. I probably would have run out while preparing tonight’s dinner! If we couldn’t refill it tonight, we would have been in trouble. Our next two nights are without electrical. We are on the hook for Mile Hammock and the mooring ball in Carolina Beach. While I food shopped, Pete went to Tractor Supply to refill the propane. He also ran to Lowe’s and then Harris Teeter for cold cuts and pie. Once home, everything needed to be put away, including the clean clothes.
We checked Windy for tomorrow. Winds will be increasing from the SSW, almost on our nose. With the engine running so well, we might loose a mile per hour, but still make it in about 6 hours. We plan on a early departure.
Wednesday, 11/5/25 – Morehead City to Mile Hammock, Camp Lejeune, NC
Miles: 42 Hours: 6.75 S/M: 244.5
Total Miles: 313.2 Total Hours: 45.95
We were up, dog walked, lines dropped by 7:30, and lucky. There was no wind and the current was very mild. Once across the inlet we had a great push. We were cruising at 8.9 mph! That wonderful push lasted over an hour!
On Bogue Sound, the skinny areas are well marked by Bob’s tracks. When we lost the push, we were still doing 7.1
Once across the Swansboro Inlet, we slowed to 6.1, but no complaints. We had the last of the push for 3 hours!
Onslow Bridge is listed to open on the hour. About 8-10 boats were ahead of us and were told that the bridge would open at 11:30. At our speed, there was no way to make that opening. When we called for the scheduled opening at noon, she told us to keep coming. She would open for us when we got there (at 11:50; “on demand”). We dropped anchor around 1:15. There were already 8 boats anchored. The winds were out of the SSW 15-20 with higher gusts. Pete was able to take Tillie to the pier, where they could both exit without getting wet. Wouldn't you know, there was a boat that came in after us anchored closer to the pier. Pete found the comment he made on Facebook berating Pete for taking Tillie for her walk. Pete was pissed and wanted to rebut, by time and sensibility prevailed. 
Even with the full moon, Pete was concerned about taking Tillie to shore at 9. Instead, they headed over at twilight, around 6:20 pm. She was fine with that. No complaints at bedtime.
Thursday, 11/6/25 ~ Miler Hammock to Mooring Field, Carolina Beach, NC
Miles: 53 Hours: 9.0 S/M: 295.5
Total Miles: 366.2 Total Hours: 54.95
We awoke around 6:30. Pete’s phone was dead, but mine still had some juice. Pete took Tillie, then hoisted the dinghy, took down the anchor light while I worked down below. Our only snag was that the Genny 2, which hoists our removeable anchor light, was pulled too high and needed to be rescued before departure. We never did that before. Anchor up and away by 7:30. All other boats but one, had left the anchorage.
The 11am meeting went very well. Pete was free once we approached Figure 8 Bridge. We, along with 2 catamarans and 2 smaller trawlers only had about a 10-minute wait for the 12:30 opening. Once through, we all cut back to idle. It takes us 40 minutes to travel the 5 miles to Wrightsville Bridge, but they only open on the hour. So…. We have 90 minutes to “our” next opening at 2 pm. Traveling at idle and sometimes neutral, we still spent the final 40 minutes dancing in the current near the bridge.
Once passed Wrightsville, the voltmeter pinned at 16 volts - way too high! Pete texted Pedro. Unit was replaced about 9 years ago. Its usual life span is about 10 years. Pete isn’t thrilled about replacing it. We have the part on board, but it is the installation with magnetized settings that give him the “he-be je-bes!” Last time their customer service rep walked him through it. Watching the voltmeter periodically remain pinned at 16 volts for 5 or more minutes was very concerning! The inverter was affected and went into a standby mode as protection against the voltage overload. That meant Skylink also was offline. We thought it best to shut down the inverter.
Wrightsville and Carolina Beach at low tide
Due to very low tides, there were many skinny areas. We were pretty close to dead low once we passed through Wrightsville that continued the rest of the way to Carolina Beach. The shallowest was near the Carolina Beach Inlet. Pete was right on Bob’s track when he saw 0.6 feet below our 5.5-foot keel! This is when we spotted the 2nd dredge train of the day heading towards us. Thankfully, the alternate channel was wider at his location and we could pass him.
We secured to our mooring ball at 4:30 pm. I quickly took readings, then shut down all the electronics in order to preserve battery power.
Dinner was one of Pete’s favorites - turkey (thick deli slices) heated in turkey gravy, cornbread stuffing, corn and cranberry sauce.
We have battery powered Christmas lights along the ceiling in the salon. The string of whites just needed new batteries. The multicolored one is dead and need to be replaced. I have an extra set in the Christmas deco bag. I will see about getting it once docked with electric.
We bucked the current through Snow’s Cut, making way only at 4 mph. Strangely, by the western end of the cut, a 40-ish foot sailboat was anchored off the channel. Definitely a strange place to anchor. We can only wonder why.
By the time we reached the Cape Fear River, we were already doing 7.5, The rains stopped, the clouds were clearing, and cruising down the river at 8.7 -11.9 mph is really, super cool! Delaying our departure a couple of hours and transiting the Cape Fear River with the current in less than 1.5 hours vs 3.5 hours against it! Yup! Definitely worth it!
We were tied up at SH Harbor Village around 2. It was a beautiful afternoon to sit in the cockpit and read.
Saturday 11/8/25 ~ Southport to Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, North Myrtle Beach, SC
Miles: 34.2 Hours: 7.0 S/M: 345.0
Total Miles: 417.4 Total Hours: 64.45
Temps are up. It’s a shorts day! 63 going up to 78!
We were in no rush to leave this morning. It gave Pete a chance to check a number of things including the drip pan under the engine. The is a little bit of fuel, which Pete says is normal with new injectors. However, the water that was also in the drip pan will need to be traced down. Wonderful!
Pete backed out of our slip at 8 this morning. We had a push for about a half hour. He had to lower the rpm when the alternator belt started to screech. The tachometer is also once again pinned.
Sights around Foley's Landing
We bucked currents for most of the day. Shallotte's Inlet and Foley's Landing Inlet were challenging at high tide. We can’t imagine what this navigation would be transiting at low tide. In Foley's Landing, there was a main route and an alternate route on Bob’s Tracks. With the high tide, we figured we were safe with the direct route. We were about 3/4 away through and suddenly we went from 6 feet under the keel to less than 3. Pete was able to get us over to the other track and we got through, never touched bottom.
First thing this morning, Pete cancelled our reservations at Osprey Point Marina. She heard our radio call yesterday. They have a number of recommended mechanics. Here in MBYC, there was only one recommended mechanic to call. We discussed various options, believing we will be here for at least 2 weeks. Pete rented a car for Tuesday. He will drive up to Baltimore Airport to return the 1-way rental, get an UBER to Castle Harbor Marina on Kent Island, MD, then drive our car back here.
The Cold is a'coming!
Monday, 11/10/25 ~ MBYC Day 3 ~
By 4 pm, it was cloudy and raw. Pete could no longer stand the cold. The weather forecasters are predicting possible frozen precipitation later tonight. So glad we have heat onboard!
Tuesday, 11/11/25 ~ MBYC Day 4 ~
I made Pete a special breakfast: a breakfast sandwich with fresh fruit for breakfast before his 9 am meeting.
After the meeting, he did a pump out. It is so great to have the connections on the dock. He just had to sign out the key in the office for the dock box that stores the hose.
Our Silly Tillie ~ keeping watch, nesting and snuggling
Another beautiful and slightly cooler day than yesterday.
Pete went for a haircut and ran a few errands this morning, but spent the afternoon working.
I tried reading, but needed to lie down to break a headache.
Still enjoyed a pretty sunset.
Saturday, 11/15/25 ~ MBYC Day 8 ~
Relaxing in the morning with a couple of chores. Headed out for lunch at Moe Moon’s on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach. Lots of dogs & 3 other Bernedoodle were also out walking. After Labor Day, dogs are allowed on the boardwalk. We grabbed ice cream then headed back. It was a beautiful, sunny, mild day. No dinner tonight due to the late lunch. 
Sunday, 11/16/25 ~ MBYC Day 9 ~
We took a 3+ hour ride to see my sister, Stephanie, and her family out by Charlotte, NC. The GPS in the car hasn’t been updated in about 4 years. While we were traveling outside of Rockingham on Rt 74. I was looking down at my Google maps as we were getting close to the Pee Dee River. There is a new interchange. Following the sign for “interstate 74”, which we were on, took us north instead of west. Looking at the maps later, I found we needed to stay on “state road” 74. That detour took about 40 minutes. Talk about confusing! Once near my sister’s, we wanted to find a Harris Teeter’s or a Whole Food’s to buy a dessert. I found a Whole Foods, clicked on it and surprise! It was for a small family grocery, with an entirely different name. Needless to say, we were confused, frustrated and disappointed. Bummer!!! Now, we needed to find a good grocery fast, which we did, but it added to our late arrival.
This is the first opportunity to visit Steph and Mike in the beautiful home they bought 5 years ago! The neighborhood is probably one if the prettiest we have seen. Mid-sized, brick homes are set on winding roads with lots of cul-du-sacs. Their home overlooks a pond. It’s so cool and they use the screened porch year round.
It is a bit mind boggling to spend time any of “the kids.” (All our nieces & nephews are adults, ranging from 23-47.) Real adult conversations around home, girlfriends, work, pets, schedules etc.
Our return home went smoother, but it took us a different way. Only after we realized we were south of Myrtle Beach, did Pete realize he hit the location for the boardwalk from yesterday instead of the marina that is technically north of North Myrtle beach, 20 miles away!
It was a fun weekend!
Monday, 11/17/25 ~ MBYC Day 10 ~
Pete called the mechanic this morning and is waiting for a callback as to when they will come. Since I was heading up to do laundry, Pete asked me to extending our stay.
Pete was trying to finish up his work this morning, when he received a call from one of his clients. Carolyn. She lives in the area. We were supposed to meet at Zaytin, a Greek restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. (224 Fresh Drive, Myrtle Beach) Their menu look very interesting. We were looking forward to meeting up with Carolyn there. Unfortunately, she had to cancel. Her neighbor had an emergency and needed someone to watch the toddler.
Tuesday, 11/18/25 ~ MBYC Day 11 ~
A super day with friends!
Sunset over the Calabash River
Thursday 11/20/25 ~ MBYC Day 13 ~
Pete once again worked while I headed out for food shopping. Being in a resort area everything is a bit more expensive. I wanted to get what I needed for making Thanksgiving dinner before the crowds. I forgot that this is a retirement area, so most people are out any time of the day. The biggest surprise is that there are no grocery cart corrals. They embarrass shoppers into returning the carts to the store!
Friday, 11/21/25 ~ MBYC Day 14 ~
Still no report on the transmission fluid. Extended our stay another week. Did laundry again. I had forgotten that the enclosure is padded with sheets and towels to limit scratching while stored. They needed to be washed before storing.
Saturday 11/22/25 ~ MBYC Day 15 ~
Tillie was groomed this morning. Of course, then we both needed showers to rid ourselves of all that hair. I still had time to run to Publix for pies. Today is MBYC Friendsgiving. There was plenty of great food and we met a bunch of nice people. The folks here are very active and extremely welcoming.
While perusing Facebook, one of the photographers I follow on Kent Island, David Sites, posted photos of a very familiar looking boat. Zooming in it was the USAAF Rescue Boat 520 we saw being worked on at AYB.
From the website: https://p520.org
P-520: WWII & Korean War Crashboat
The P-520 is the last of the 85-foot US Army Air Corps Crash boats that rescued downed pilots during WW2 and Korea. Our goal is to educate the public on the vital role these boats played. By traveling around the area the P-520 can visit ports and showcase locations where these boats were built. Few museum boats are able to operate under their own power, giving our boat a unique opportunity to bring history to the public.
United States Army Air Force Crash boats (USAAF) were a class of wooden hulled boats ranging in size from 63 feet to 104 feet. Their mission? Find and recover downed airman who had to ditch their plane over the sea. The 85-foot boats were built after crews wanted a boat with greater range than the 63-foot boats offered, and faster than the 104-foot boats could offer thus the 85-foot PT boats were created. Other missions also evolved for P Boats such as supporting the OSS on secret missions and inserting commandos. P-520 was built in Wilmington, California in 1944. She remains the last of the 140 built. The P-520 sailed its entire military career off shores of California.
Sunday, 11/23/25 ~ MBYC Day 16 ~
You know what they say about the best lane plans… Well, Pete‘s plan was to find the leak that’s coming from the bathroom shower. To do that, he had to get access to the fiber optic camera, which is housed in a plastic container in the locker, underneath our bed. As he started to access that locker, he found things were damp. Thankfully, tools were in plastic cases and the soft goods in vacuum bags. After removing most of it, he found water at the bottom. Well, that changed plans for the day. With everything out and placed in the cockpit to be washed, we tested the raw water pump used to wash down the anchor. Yup, that was the culprit. At first, Pete attempted to reset the rubber flange. After a second attempt, it did not resolve the problem. It just made it worse. Guess who needs a new water pump?!! So, since most of the damp and dripping stuff was passed over the bed, I had to wash all the bedding. While I did that, Pete ran to West Marine. Well, at least something is going right! They are having their pre-black Friday sale!!! Pete was able to get two new lines to replace our aft lines that were damaged in the hurricane. He also was able to purchase the pump and shrink wire clamps, all at almost half price. We had also previously ordered deck squares to elevate the bed. I found some light mold under the mattress, and I wanted to make sure that we had air circulation underneath it. The timing was great. The deck squares arrived from Amazon while I was doing laundry. While Pete continued to install the new pump, I worked on the dock next to our boat, which thankfully is about 8-foot wide. I thoroughly vacuumed the mattress. Then sprayed it with a Clorox cleaning spray. I was shocked when all the gray spots disappeared! I then assembled the deck squares and cut it to fit the mattress. By 7 o’clock everything was back into the locker. The deck squares were sitting underneath the mattress, and I could make up the bed for this for bedtime, which I know is gonna come real early tonight!
Monday 11/24 /25 ~ MBYC Day 19 ~
The mechanic forwarded the report on the fluid from the transmission. There was a number of different metals showing in the fluid. Not good. According to his summation, we need a new transmission. Pete, in between work, was checking the availability of various transmissions, either new or rebuilt. Catalina Direct said they could order us one and it would be a minimum of 9 weeks. YIKES!! When he finally took a break from work at three, he emailed Pedro in Fort Pierce the report along with what the mechanic said. Pedro texted back shortly thereafter saying “I see nothing in the report that scares me. I would do a complete flushing twice and then add three-quarter transmission fluid with 1/4 TransMedic fluid should take care of it and you should be good to go.” Fingers crossed. Pete emailed the project manager at the mechanic shop to request that they do what Pedro said. We shall see….
Pete was interested in a golf driver club he saw on Marketplace. He met the seller at The PGA Store. They rented a room that uses a computer to analyzed swing, for arc , direction and distance. A great place for Pete to test drive the club. It was a beautiful club intended for a pro golfer, not for Pete. Since they had the time, Pete tried another driver that has peaked his interest. As he began his swing, a ball rolled in from another room. He stepped on it as he put his foot flat. He twisted and over stretched a muscle on his right hip. He hurt. Walking into Walgreens, Publix and then down the dock was very difficult. So was sitting. He found customizing the sofa with pillows placed in strategic locations made him more comfortable. If he is not better in the morning, he will get it checked out.
Tuesday, 11/25/25 ~ MBYC Day 20 ~
I walked Tillie this morning. Pete slept well, but the area is swollen, stiff and achy. He sat carefully during is had conference call and was able to work. He was feeling ok enough to walk the dog at 4 ( in the pouring rain!)
Photo ops from Tillie and my walk this morning
I ran to Michael's in South Myrtle Beach in the hopes of finding inspiration for making Christmas ornaments. Then stopped at Publix for some last minute items I forgot last week. I never gave thought to the heavy traffic and tight parking with all the "Black Friday Week " sales! The skies were cloudy when I entered the Publix, but it was raining when I came out. Of course I was parked at the end of the lot and needed to return my cart (and my neighbor’s cart) to the store. I was so glad that the rain had momentarily stopped once back at the marina. I could see the sheets of rain approaching as we loaded everything on board. It then poured. Tillie was demanding going for her walk during the heaviest part. She and Pete were drenched, even wearing their raincoats.
Wednesday, 11/16/25 ~ MBYC Day 21 ~
Pete worked all morning while I cleaned. Mid-day, he received a call back from The Transatlantic Diesel / transmission people, in Virginia. They have the right transmission for our engine. Pete asked them to please hold it until he spoke with the mechanic. We then discussed possible options for repairs as well as travel. It is still a mystery.
After, we had time to read up in the cockpit for a while.
Thursday, 11/27/25 ~ MBYC Day 22 ~
Watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. I have been so disappointed with NBC’s coverage in recent years. They made it a 2-hour advertisement for their programming and sponsors, with minimal parade coverage. I felt sorry for all the bands that had to raise money to cover their transportation and accommodation costs just to appear in the parade and those who contributed never had a chance to see them on TV. This year it was different. They had no sideline interviews and showed most of the parade.
I found a great recipe on the internet for Crockpot Turkey made with chicken seasonings, onion, garlic, apple cider, orange juice, onion soup mix, and cranberry sauce. Cooked it for 5-6 hours and absolutely delicious. My only regret is that we only have 1 leftover meal. Next time, I will use 2 turkey breasts!
Before watching the movie Spy Game with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, we had a piece of Publix's delicious Flourless Chocolate Torte.
Friday, 11/28/25 ~ MBYC Day 23 ~
Mr. Jimmy called this morning. He feels that just changing the fluid will lead to problems long before we arrive in Florida. The gears are breaking down. There were metal particles found by Brian prior to sending out the transmission fluid for analysis (We did not know this). He will check his supplier first thing Monday morning, as he is a dealer for the type of transmission we need. Either we, or he will order the transmission, price and delivery dependent . Once received, he will have a crew out to do the 2-day installation asap. Looks like we will be here a while longer.
I worked on blog most of the day. The month is just about written, but the photos need to be worked on. It is a good weekend to make some serious progress.
Saturday, 11/29/25 ~ MBYC Day 24 ~
Our neighbor is ready for the holidays and The Lighthouse at the mouth of the harbor is lit as a Christmas tree. Many of the Condos surrounding the harbor have lights and their Christmas trees already lit! In fact, the boat in the first slip on our dock has been lit for Christmas since we arrived on November 8th!
Being cold, raw and windy, we decided to skip the Holiday Boat Parade. We would have to walk out to the Lighhouse and stand with hundreds of others in the cold with very little viewing space. It just wasn't worth it. We might be disappointed, but we remained comfortable and warm!
Sunday, 11/30/25 ~ MBYC Day 25 ~
You would newer guess that I love sunsets!
Sunrise over the ICW
Magnificent fall foliage and early morning sculling
When Coinjock dockmaster called, I was so happy to report that we were underway. We would finally get to see them in five hours. They have been extremely gracious and accommodating. It looks like today’s The Day! We are going to celebrate by having prime rib at the restaurant, tonight! It is well deserve after the two weeks we’ve had.
Belhaven Marina has no room. Reservations were made for Dowry Creek in Belhaven tomorrow. It will be a very long day, not including the extra hour it would have taken to get to Belhaven Marina. We also tried to make reservations for the following day at Homer Smith in Beaufort, but they, too, had no openings. Instead, we made a 2-day reservation at Moorhead City Yacht Basin. We need to run errands.
The Prime Rib dinner was the best we have ever had in Coinjock. Not as much fat and grizzle as previous dinners. The meat was perfectly cooked and even though we had the smaller Mate’s Cut (14-16 oz), we both have half of our steaks leftover for another meal – 2 meals, if I serve it as open face sandwiches!
Sunday 10/2/25 ~ Coinjock to Belhaven, NC
Miles: 81 Hours: 8.1 S/M: 131.8
Total Miles: 201.2 Total Hours: 29.4
As Pete did his “engine stare.” He was surprised and frustrated when he found the broken hose clamp. I took Tillie for her morning walk while Pete changed out the hose clamp. It was 39 degrees, damp and no wind and as light began to appear, it reviled surface mist on the water.
It was 6:20 when we cast off lines. We were the first boat to leave. It wasn’t until 8:30 when the boats from Coinjock began to pass us. The skies were clear and breezes strengthening from north. Around 9:30, the breeze lightened slightly and began clocking to the east. It was close to10:30 when the winds came from the east, then increased from 7 mph to about 12 and climbing. We motor sailed across Albemarle Sound at 8 mph. We had to slow as we approach the bridge, but resumed motor sailing as we will be on this heading for a few hours.
It was 6:20 when we cast off lines. We were the first boat to leave. It wasn’t until 8:30 when the boats from Coinjock began to pass us. The skies were clear and breezes strengthening from north. Around 9:30, the breeze lightened slightly and began clocking to the east. It was close to10:30 when the winds came from the east, then increased from 7 mph to about 12 and climbing. We motor sailed across Albemarle Sound at 8 mph. We had to slow as we approach the bridge, but resumed motor sailing as we will be on this heading for a few hours.
Sunrise Evolution
Heading through the construction of the Alligator Bridge & not a normal sighting for a pilot boat
Clouds formed in the afternoon and sprinkles christened us about halfway through the AP Canal. Traffic on the canal was extremely light. I don't think we were passed by more than 3 boats.
More than halfway down the canal we found the deadhead lodged into the ground almost right on Bob’s track, where it had been noted on Facebook. It is surprising that one of the tug and barges that comes though the canal, didn’t jar it loose yet.
Purple paint = No Hunting! Pete & his faithful navigator
Trying to get a handle on the wind forecast!
It was completely dark by 5:45. The small, intense LED flashlights we use are wonderful. They are light weight, intense and easily hung around our necks with a lanyard. The ability to concentrate the beam is great for spotting the channel day boards without lighting up the boat and blinding the helmsman. Dowery Creek Marina was expecting our late arrival. The dock master met us on our assigned dock during the heaviest of the downpour. By 6:30 we were secured to the dock. Tonight’s chili really hit the spot.
The only clock mounted above the door to the aft cabin is my go to for a quick time check. We were up at 5:30 this morning and since it was 9, we figured it was time for Tillie’s last walk, our showers and bed. Tomorrow will be another 5:30 wake up call. As we plugged in our phones for the night instead of 10 pm we saw it was really 9!! Great night’s sleep here we come!
Monday 11/3/25 ~ Belhaven, to Morehead City, NC
Miles: 70.0 Hours: 9.8 S/M: 203.0
Total Miles: 271.2 Total Hours: 39.2
We heard heavy bands of rain come through the night along with heavy winds. The sounds & motion lent for great sleeping. However, Pete woke at 5 due more intense rocking from winds. He started checking Windy and WeatherBug. As the alarm went off, he was in full discussion mode, so we checked specific weather models as well as the comparison feature. Wind speeds and directions differed drastically from one model to another. After 20 or so minutes, Pete decided to take Tillie for her walk and assess weather personally. Winds are primarily out of the north and doable, while rains are currently light or nonexistent. We made the decision to go.
Departure at 6:30 went smoothly. Once out in the Pongo River, winds predictions were originally from the 10-12 from the west on Saturday, then east on Sunday. However, NOW they currently out of the north! We have never seen such a strange forecast. Winds are 15-18 from the north and will be dropping in intensity and shifting slightly to either the NNE or NNW. Another mystery! We cruised across Pamlico Sound between 7.8 and 8 mph.
Departure at 6:30 went smoothly. Once out in the Pongo River, winds predictions were originally from the 10-12 from the west on Saturday, then east on Sunday. However, NOW they currently out of the north! We have never seen such a strange forecast. Winds are 15-18 from the north and will be dropping in intensity and shifting slightly to either the NNE or NNW. Another mystery! We cruised across Pamlico Sound between 7.8 and 8 mph.
Here comes the rains!
Once again, we found the mentioned deadhead near Hobucken USCG, right in the middle of the channel. Someone heading south at speed, would definitely pierce the hull.
Crossing the Neuss River was gray, raw and rainy. Winds from our aft allowed is to cruise at 7.8 without the sail. On Adams Creek we did 9.5! The current was already changing, but near the bridge, we hit 9.6! WOOHOO!!!
We spotted out first of many dolphins while crossing Harlowe Creek approaching the bridge in Morehead City. We encountered about four or five large pods. One dolphin had found great joy tossing about an 8-inch fish, jumping after it, only to toss it again and again.
We tied up around 4:45. They placed us in the inside of A-dock, in a 60-ft slip meant for one of the "Big Boys", one of the 50-foot +,Viking sportfish yachts. In order for us to have the electrical cords reach from the center of the slip on the main dock to our aft, required us to be cattycornered in the slip. It worked, but made getting Tillie on and off the boat a real challenge. It was too wide between the dock and the enclosure opening for her to jump. For Pete and I, it was a substantial step of about 18 inches. We topped off fuel & water and will be staying in this slip tomorrow. Pete has meetings throughout the day and then we need to provision.
Tonight's full moon
Time to start dinner!
Tuesday, 11/3/25 ~ Morehead City Day 2 ~
Tuesday, 11/3/25 ~ Morehead City Day 2 ~
Pete took the laundry and worked on the pre-meeting items that needed addressing. I was able to really clean, removing all the dirt and grime the mechanics stirred up (again). The floors finally were scrubbed and our new area rugs I put down look great.
The meeting went fine, but as usual, there are more adjustments Pete and George will need to do tomorrow.
Shortly before 3, we went up to get the loaner car we reserved yesterday. That’s when we found out our name never made the list and various other reservations took up all the afternoon slots. Thankfully, the dockmaster allowed us to use it after hours.
We were given the keys around 5:30. Pete had already uncoupled the propane tank. He was shocked to find it almost empty. I probably would have run out while preparing tonight’s dinner! If we couldn’t refill it tonight, we would have been in trouble. Our next two nights are without electrical. We are on the hook for Mile Hammock and the mooring ball in Carolina Beach. While I food shopped, Pete went to Tractor Supply to refill the propane. He also ran to Lowe’s and then Harris Teeter for cold cuts and pie. Once home, everything needed to be put away, including the clean clothes.
We checked Windy for tomorrow. Winds will be increasing from the SSW, almost on our nose. With the engine running so well, we might loose a mile per hour, but still make it in about 6 hours. We plan on a early departure.
Wednesday, 11/5/25 – Morehead City to Mile Hammock, Camp Lejeune, NC
Miles: 42 Hours: 6.75 S/M: 244.5
Total Miles: 313.2 Total Hours: 45.95
On Bogue Sound, the skinny areas are well marked by Bob’s tracks. When we lost the push, we were still doing 7.1
Once across the Swansboro Inlet, we slowed to 6.1, but no complaints. We had the last of the push for 3 hours!
Onslow Bridge is listed to open on the hour. About 8-10 boats were ahead of us and were told that the bridge would open at 11:30. At our speed, there was no way to make that opening. When we called for the scheduled opening at noon, she told us to keep coming. She would open for us when we got there (at 11:50; “on demand”). We dropped anchor around 1:15. There were already 8 boats anchored. The winds were out of the SSW 15-20 with higher gusts. Pete was able to take Tillie to the pier, where they could both exit without getting wet. Wouldn't you know, there was a boat that came in after us anchored closer to the pier. Pete found the comment he made on Facebook berating Pete for taking Tillie for her walk. Pete was pissed and wanted to rebut, by time and sensibility prevailed.
Pete worked for a few hours before we found that Starlink drains the batteries faster than we thought. Once done, Pete shut it down as soon as he was finished with work.
All afternoon, I in between reading, watched the Marine Osprey aircraft land, hover, and take off nearby, behind the trees. Periodically a large, military helicopter would circle the anchorage. The exercises continued until 9:30 pm. It sounded as if they were just inches above the mast!
All afternoon, I in between reading, watched the Marine Osprey aircraft land, hover, and take off nearby, behind the trees. Periodically a large, military helicopter would circle the anchorage. The exercises continued until 9:30 pm. It sounded as if they were just inches above the mast!
Still discrepancies with the forecast
Even with the full moon, Pete was concerned about taking Tillie to shore at 9. Instead, they headed over at twilight, around 6:20 pm. She was fine with that. No complaints at bedtime.
Thursday, 11/6/25 ~ Miler Hammock to Mooring Field, Carolina Beach, NC
Miles: 53 Hours: 9.0 S/M: 295.5
Total Miles: 366.2 Total Hours: 54.95
We awoke around 6:30. Pete’s phone was dead, but mine still had some juice. Pete took Tillie, then hoisted the dinghy, took down the anchor light while I worked down below. Our only snag was that the Genny 2, which hoists our removeable anchor light, was pulled too high and needed to be rescued before departure. We never did that before. Anchor up and away by 7:30. All other boats but one, had left the anchorage.
ICW mile marker, deer on the marshes and another sunken fishing vessel
We rode the current the mile to the New River. We expected to fight the current south if the river, but courtesy of the mysteries of hydrodynamics, we had a great ride for the next hour. Cruising 8.5 to 8.9 mph is wonderful! The 11am meeting went very well. Pete was free once we approached Figure 8 Bridge. We, along with 2 catamarans and 2 smaller trawlers only had about a 10-minute wait for the 12:30 opening. Once through, we all cut back to idle. It takes us 40 minutes to travel the 5 miles to Wrightsville Bridge, but they only open on the hour. So…. We have 90 minutes to “our” next opening at 2 pm. Traveling at idle and sometimes neutral, we still spent the final 40 minutes dancing in the current near the bridge.
Once passed Wrightsville, the voltmeter pinned at 16 volts - way too high! Pete texted Pedro. Unit was replaced about 9 years ago. Its usual life span is about 10 years. Pete isn’t thrilled about replacing it. We have the part on board, but it is the installation with magnetized settings that give him the “he-be je-bes!” Last time their customer service rep walked him through it. Watching the voltmeter periodically remain pinned at 16 volts for 5 or more minutes was very concerning! The inverter was affected and went into a standby mode as protection against the voltage overload. That meant Skylink also was offline. We thought it best to shut down the inverter.
Wrightsville and Carolina Beach at low tide
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| PEKABU on the mooring |
We secured to our mooring ball at 4:30 pm. I quickly took readings, then shut down all the electronics in order to preserve battery power.
Dinner was one of Pete’s favorites - turkey (thick deli slices) heated in turkey gravy, cornbread stuffing, corn and cranberry sauce.
We have battery powered Christmas lights along the ceiling in the salon. The string of whites just needed new batteries. The multicolored one is dead and need to be replaced. I have an extra set in the Christmas deco bag. I will see about getting it once docked with electric.
Friday, 11/7/25 ~ Carolina Beach to SH Harbor Village, Southport, NC
Miles: 17 Hours: 2.5 S/M: 310.8
Total Miles: 383.2 Total Hours: 57.45
We were up with the sunrise at 6:30. Pete took Tilly to shore while I straightened up and prepared breakfast. Once that was done, we sat in the cockpit and read. Pete brushed Tillie and went after the knots in her hair. On a close-by mooring ball, the trawler, MV CARMA’s REWARD, took advantage and sprayed the hull and with a quick swipe of a sponge, remove the “Brown Frown.” He just sprays on the cheapest lemon concentrate and “voila” it’s gone! Impossible to believe, but it's better than FSR!
The skies looked more threatening as the morning progressed. We checked, but nothing’s really showing up locally on radar. Today was no rush. We want to catch the outgoing current down the Cape Fear River. To do that, we left the mooring field close to 11 am. As we dropped the line from the mooring ball, a gentle rain has begun falling. By the time we were underway, the heavens opened up. I’m so glad we left exactly when we did AND have the enclosure!
Miles: 17 Hours: 2.5 S/M: 310.8
Total Miles: 383.2 Total Hours: 57.45
We were up with the sunrise at 6:30. Pete took Tilly to shore while I straightened up and prepared breakfast. Once that was done, we sat in the cockpit and read. Pete brushed Tillie and went after the knots in her hair. On a close-by mooring ball, the trawler, MV CARMA’s REWARD, took advantage and sprayed the hull and with a quick swipe of a sponge, remove the “Brown Frown.” He just sprays on the cheapest lemon concentrate and “voila” it’s gone! Impossible to believe, but it's better than FSR!
The skies looked more threatening as the morning progressed. We checked, but nothing’s really showing up locally on radar. Today was no rush. We want to catch the outgoing current down the Cape Fear River. To do that, we left the mooring field close to 11 am. As we dropped the line from the mooring ball, a gentle rain has begun falling. By the time we were underway, the heavens opened up. I’m so glad we left exactly when we did AND have the enclosure!
By the time we reached the Cape Fear River, we were already doing 7.5, The rains stopped, the clouds were clearing, and cruising down the river at 8.7 -11.9 mph is really, super cool! Delaying our departure a couple of hours and transiting the Cape Fear River with the current in less than 1.5 hours vs 3.5 hours against it! Yup! Definitely worth it!
We were thrilled with 11.0 mph, but it continued to climb!!!
The remarkable current and the sun returning.
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| Haven't tried the on sight restaurant, Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill, but rumor has it the food is very good. |
Saturday 11/8/25 ~ Southport to Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, North Myrtle Beach, SC
Miles: 34.2 Hours: 7.0 S/M: 345.0
Total Miles: 417.4 Total Hours: 64.45
Temps are up. It’s a shorts day! 63 going up to 78!
We were in no rush to leave this morning. It gave Pete a chance to check a number of things including the drip pan under the engine. The is a little bit of fuel, which Pete says is normal with new injectors. However, the water that was also in the drip pan will need to be traced down. Wonderful!
Pete backed out of our slip at 8 this morning. We had a push for about a half hour. He had to lower the rpm when the alternator belt started to screech. The tachometer is also once again pinned.
Sights around Foley's Landing
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| There are Bob423's 2 tracks for navigating Foley's Landing Inlet |
We were getting close to Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, having crossed over the North Carolina South Carolina line. We traveled with the current through the New River Inlet. However, once across the inlet, Pete and I both started to smell a burnt plastic smell. I took the helm while Pete went down below. We only made it to marker eight when Pete came up and said “shut the engine down now!" It turns out that the transmission was reading 327° on the laser thermometer. He was able to get the anchor down while I put out a “Pon Pon” stating that we were disabled and in the middle of the channel and our location. That prompted a callback from the Coast Guard. After giving the required into, he asked if we had a tow service to which I said "yes." Pete was on the phone trying to reach TowBoat US. I was promptly paged by the local TowBoat captain over channel 16. We only spent about 20 long minutes waiting for TowBoat. He did an excellent job navigating through the Saturday afternoon boat traffic on the ICW. We had extra hands to catch our lines courtesy of our new dock mates. We were in our assigned slip at MBYC by 3. Pete spoke with the marina staff and extended our stay. They gave us the ‘transient with troubles weekly rate.”
Pete was texting back and forth with Pedro. He gave Pete various insights and a couple of things to try. Once again, Pete is doing a lot of research on the web. Of course, with our luck, it is Saturday afternoon. Pete will have to wait until Monday to call the mechanic recommended by the dockmaster . When we asked the TowBoat captain if he knew of any, he said “Yea, but they are all very busy.” He didn’t volunteer any other information.
No we can't make this $h!t up!!!
Sunday, 11/9/25 ~ MBYC Day 2 ~
Sunday, 11/9/25 ~ MBYC Day 2 ~
It was a lazy day, mild temps 70’s with winds increasing during the day. Great day for walking, reading and relaxing.
The Cold is a'coming!
Monday, 11/10/25 ~ MBYC Day 3 ~
Temps today are in the 60’s with winds clocking around from the SE to the West and increasing. It feels much colder than 60 and the temperature will be dropping through the day.
Pete spent the morning working, but he did call the mechanic. The receptionist connected Pete to the boss, Mr. Jimmy. Like Pedro, his first guess was the reversed water and oil lines cooling the transmission. He will see us next week. Pete feels much better. He also reserved the rental car.
While he read and slowly froze in the cockpit (because Tillie wanted to be up there), I worked on the blog, while staying comfortably warm, down below.
Pete spent the morning working, but he did call the mechanic. The receptionist connected Pete to the boss, Mr. Jimmy. Like Pedro, his first guess was the reversed water and oil lines cooling the transmission. He will see us next week. Pete feels much better. He also reserved the rental car.
While he read and slowly froze in the cockpit (because Tillie wanted to be up there), I worked on the blog, while staying comfortably warm, down below.
Tuesday, 11/11/25 ~ MBYC Day 4 ~
The lightning, thunder and rains came through during the night. It also brought literally freezing temps. Pete froze while walking Tillie. The temperature at 7 am was 30 degrees, NW winds of 18 mph created a “feels like” temp of 26 and ice around puddles! We were astounded when we checked the temps in PA & NJ and they were slightly higher!
Pete was picked up around 9 am for his rental car, which was 35 minutes from here at the Myrtle Beach Airport. He has a 7-hour drive each way, with and additional Uber ride from BWI. Once he picked up our car, he still had to drop the outboard and other stuff still inside the car at our storage unit.
Pete was picked up around 9 am for his rental car, which was 35 minutes from here at the Myrtle Beach Airport. He has a 7-hour drive each way, with and additional Uber ride from BWI. Once he picked up our car, he still had to drop the outboard and other stuff still inside the car at our storage unit.
I spent most of the day working on the blog. Somehow, I needed to reconstruct the first 8 days of October as they mysteriously vanished. That took a while. Then there were the photos that needed processing. There’s probably 15-20 hours work for a 10-minute read of the monthly blog. I might gripe from time to time, but we both enjoy looking back at our travels and using it as a resource.
I had 4 new prescriptions sent by my doctor to the Walgreens outside of Charleston, believing that we would have been there by now. Thankfully, I was able to have them transferred to the one about 4 miles away in North Myrtle Beach.
Pete and I stayed in touch during his trip. I was glad he pulled over around 10:30 pm to catch an hour’s sleep. He didn’t get in until 4:30 am. Tillie was so happy (and noisy) to see him. He opted to sleep on the sofa in his clothes.
Wednesday, 11/12/25 ~ MBYC Day 5 ~
I had 4 new prescriptions sent by my doctor to the Walgreens outside of Charleston, believing that we would have been there by now. Thankfully, I was able to have them transferred to the one about 4 miles away in North Myrtle Beach.
Pete and I stayed in touch during his trip. I was glad he pulled over around 10:30 pm to catch an hour’s sleep. He didn’t get in until 4:30 am. Tillie was so happy (and noisy) to see him. He opted to sleep on the sofa in his clothes.
Wednesday, 11/12/25 ~ MBYC Day 5 ~
I made Pete a special breakfast: a breakfast sandwich with fresh fruit for breakfast before his 9 am meeting.
After the meeting, he did a pump out. It is so great to have the connections on the dock. He just had to sign out the key in the office for the dock box that stores the hose.
Our Silly Tillie ~ keeping watch, nesting and snuggling
Though the temperatures are a bit milder than yesterday, we might only reach 60 as opposed to 47 yesterday. The winds are still out of the WNW, but have dropped to 12-15mph. It's much better than yesterday's 18-20 with gusts to 30 mph!
Once soup was cooking in the crock pot, I did a final review of the blog before posting. Diane found it moments later!
Thursday, 11/13/25 ~ MBYC Day 6 ~
Once soup was cooking in the crock pot, I did a final review of the blog before posting. Diane found it moments later!
Thursday, 11/13/25 ~ MBYC Day 6 ~
It was a great day to sit in the cockpit and read.
The aurora borealis is very visible very far south this week, but apparently not here in the marina. The horizon is not visible due to the condo surrounding the hurricane hole that houses all the marinas, here in . NASA reports the auroras are from a G5 solar storm. They delayed the launch of New Glen/Blue Origin rocket, ESCAPADE. Blue Horizon is one of the private companies assisting NASA to get to Mars. Video of the launch shows a really cool fire thrust pattern during the launch.
Per Wikipedia:
Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) is a spacecraft mission to Mars consisting of two spacecraft known as Blue and Gold launched in November 2025. The mission is designed to demonstrate low-cost planetary space exploration. The twin spacecraft will study Mars' magnetosphere and how solar wind contributed to the loss of most of the planet's atmosphere over solar system history. The mission is led by UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory with Robert Lillis as Principal Investigator. It is part of NASA's SIMPLEx program.
Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) is a spacecraft mission to Mars consisting of two spacecraft known as Blue and Gold launched in November 2025. The mission is designed to demonstrate low-cost planetary space exploration. The twin spacecraft will study Mars' magnetosphere and how solar wind contributed to the loss of most of the planet's atmosphere over solar system history. The mission is led by UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory with Robert Lillis as Principal Investigator. It is part of NASA's SIMPLEx program.
ESCAPADE
Mission type Mars orbiter
Website escapade.ssl.berkeley.edu
Mission duration Total: 3 years, 7 months (planned)
Science mission: 11 months (planned)
Elapsed: 2 days (I have no idea what this refers to!)
Launch date November 13, 2025 20:55:00 UTC (3:55:00 pm EST)
Rocket New Glenn
Launch site Cape Canaveral, LC-36
Contractor Blue Origin
Mars orbiter Orbital insertion 2027 (planned)
Mission logo SIMPLEx Program
Friday, 11/14/25 ~ MBYC Day 7 ~
Another beautiful and slightly cooler day than yesterday.
Pete went for a haircut and ran a few errands this morning, but spent the afternoon working.
I tried reading, but needed to lie down to break a headache.
Still enjoyed a pretty sunset.
Saturday, 11/15/25 ~ MBYC Day 8 ~
Relaxing in the morning with a couple of chores. Headed out for lunch at Moe Moon’s on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach. Lots of dogs & 3 other Bernedoodle were also out walking. After Labor Day, dogs are allowed on the boardwalk. We grabbed ice cream then headed back. It was a beautiful, sunny, mild day. No dinner tonight due to the late lunch.
Caught another beautiful sunset once back at the boat.
Sunday, 11/16/25 ~ MBYC Day 9 ~
We took a 3+ hour ride to see my sister, Stephanie, and her family out by Charlotte, NC. The GPS in the car hasn’t been updated in about 4 years. While we were traveling outside of Rockingham on Rt 74. I was looking down at my Google maps as we were getting close to the Pee Dee River. There is a new interchange. Following the sign for “interstate 74”, which we were on, took us north instead of west. Looking at the maps later, I found we needed to stay on “state road” 74. That detour took about 40 minutes. Talk about confusing! Once near my sister’s, we wanted to find a Harris Teeter’s or a Whole Food’s to buy a dessert. I found a Whole Foods, clicked on it and surprise! It was for a small family grocery, with an entirely different name. Needless to say, we were confused, frustrated and disappointed. Bummer!!! Now, we needed to find a good grocery fast, which we did, but it added to our late arrival.
This is the first opportunity to visit Steph and Mike in the beautiful home they bought 5 years ago! The neighborhood is probably one if the prettiest we have seen. Mid-sized, brick homes are set on winding roads with lots of cul-du-sacs. Their home overlooks a pond. It’s so cool and they use the screened porch year round.
It is a bit mind boggling to spend time any of “the kids.” (All our nieces & nephews are adults, ranging from 23-47.) Real adult conversations around home, girlfriends, work, pets, schedules etc.
Our return home went smoother, but it took us a different way. Only after we realized we were south of Myrtle Beach, did Pete realize he hit the location for the boardwalk from yesterday instead of the marina that is technically north of North Myrtle beach, 20 miles away!
It was a fun weekend!
Monday, 11/17/25 ~ MBYC Day 10 ~
Pete called the mechanic this morning and is waiting for a callback as to when they will come. Since I was heading up to do laundry, Pete asked me to extending our stay.
Pete was trying to finish up his work this morning, when he received a call from one of his clients. Carolyn. She lives in the area. We were supposed to meet at Zaytin, a Greek restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. (224 Fresh Drive, Myrtle Beach) Their menu look very interesting. We were looking forward to meeting up with Carolyn there. Unfortunately, she had to cancel. Her neighbor had an emergency and needed someone to watch the toddler.
Tuesday, 11/18/25 ~ MBYC Day 11 ~
It was another cold morning. The temperature on WeatherBug was 39 at 7 this morning. At 10:30, it was already 59 on its way up to 65.
Around 10:30, there was a knock on the hull. Our mechanic, Brian, arrived. The aft cabin needed to be quickly emptied.
His assessment revealed that there is no cooling system. It was probably never checked for low transmission fluid. He is having a sample of the remaining fluid analyzed to see if it affected the transmission gears. He also found, AFTER he switched out the regulator with the new one we had on board, that there was a broken wire. The wire, more than likely, was the “bug” affecting the tachometer. We will know once we are up and running. Brian will return once the results of the fluid check are in. The report is due at the end of week.
Around 10:30, there was a knock on the hull. Our mechanic, Brian, arrived. The aft cabin needed to be quickly emptied.
His assessment revealed that there is no cooling system. It was probably never checked for low transmission fluid. He is having a sample of the remaining fluid analyzed to see if it affected the transmission gears. He also found, AFTER he switched out the regulator with the new one we had on board, that there was a broken wire. The wire, more than likely, was the “bug” affecting the tachometer. We will know once we are up and running. Brian will return once the results of the fluid check are in. The report is due at the end of week.
Pete worked late knowing he will not be able to work tomorrow afternoon. We are meeting friends to see their new-to-them catamaran.
Wednesday, 11/19/25 ~ MBYC Day 12 ~
Wednesday, 11/19/25 ~ MBYC Day 12 ~
Pete worked hard to finish up by 12:30 so we could meet Brian and his dinghy by 1. Looking at a map, it was decided to meet behind the Angus Steakhouse on the Calabash River. There are plenty of spaces to park. The Calabash River twists over the line into NC near the fishing boat docks and the numerous eateries along the river. The intersection where the Calabash River, the ICW and the New River Inlet meet is locally known as “Thee Four Corners.”
It was a 30-minute ride out to SV RENA, which was anchored near the mouth of the inlet. Captain, their dog, kinda forgot Tillie was a great playmate when they met previously. He was jealous when Brian gave some attention to Tillie. A number of boats that passed took photos of the 2 dogs in the dinghy.
SV RENA is a Fountaine Peugeot catamaran. She’s wide (23”) she’s long (44”) with lots of room and comfortable seating. Our boat would fit inside one hull with length to spare! She does have lots of storage, but her mast is too tall (68”) for the ICW and her width makes staying in a marina, very difficult. Thankfully, they prefer to keep moving on the ocean and to be still at anchor.
Amy and Brian are friends and dock mates for over 18 years at Castle Harbor. It was so enjoyable catching up and sharing adventures. They recently retired, sold their home and moved aboard. They spent summer enjoying and exploring Nova Scotia. There was so much to catch up to do and was never a lull in our conversation. Unfortunately, our visiting time was dictated by sunlight. We wanted to make sure they were back to their boat before darkness descends. It’s an hour roundtrip back to the boat, and there is no ambient light once the sun is down. We hope to cross paths again before they head over to the Bahamas. . . or when they return. In the meantime, we will stay in contact.
SV RENA is a Fountaine Peugeot catamaran. She’s wide (23”) she’s long (44”) with lots of room and comfortable seating. Our boat would fit inside one hull with length to spare! She does have lots of storage, but her mast is too tall (68”) for the ICW and her width makes staying in a marina, very difficult. Thankfully, they prefer to keep moving on the ocean and to be still at anchor.
Amy and Brian are friends and dock mates for over 18 years at Castle Harbor. It was so enjoyable catching up and sharing adventures. They recently retired, sold their home and moved aboard. They spent summer enjoying and exploring Nova Scotia. There was so much to catch up to do and was never a lull in our conversation. Unfortunately, our visiting time was dictated by sunlight. We wanted to make sure they were back to their boat before darkness descends. It’s an hour roundtrip back to the boat, and there is no ambient light once the sun is down. We hope to cross paths again before they head over to the Bahamas. . . or when they return. In the meantime, we will stay in contact.
A super day with friends!
Amy, thanks for these great photos! They are so much better than mine.
Sunset over the Calabash River
Thursday 11/20/25 ~ MBYC Day 13 ~
Pete once again worked while I headed out for food shopping. Being in a resort area everything is a bit more expensive. I wanted to get what I needed for making Thanksgiving dinner before the crowds. I forgot that this is a retirement area, so most people are out any time of the day. The biggest surprise is that there are no grocery cart corrals. They embarrass shoppers into returning the carts to the store!
Friday, 11/21/25 ~ MBYC Day 14 ~
Still no report on the transmission fluid. Extended our stay another week. Did laundry again. I had forgotten that the enclosure is padded with sheets and towels to limit scratching while stored. They needed to be washed before storing.
Saturday 11/22/25 ~ MBYC Day 15 ~
Tillie was groomed this morning. Of course, then we both needed showers to rid ourselves of all that hair. I still had time to run to Publix for pies. Today is MBYC Friendsgiving. There was plenty of great food and we met a bunch of nice people. The folks here are very active and extremely welcoming.
While perusing Facebook, one of the photographers I follow on Kent Island, David Sites, posted photos of a very familiar looking boat. Zooming in it was the USAAF Rescue Boat 520 we saw being worked on at AYB.
From the website: https://p520.org
P-520: WWII & Korean War Crashboat
United States Army Air Force Crash boats (USAAF) were a class of wooden hulled boats ranging in size from 63 feet to 104 feet. Their mission? Find and recover downed airman who had to ditch their plane over the sea. The 85-foot boats were built after crews wanted a boat with greater range than the 63-foot boats offered, and faster than the 104-foot boats could offer thus the 85-foot PT boats were created. Other missions also evolved for P Boats such as supporting the OSS on secret missions and inserting commandos. P-520 was built in Wilmington, California in 1944. She remains the last of the 140 built. The P-520 sailed its entire military career off shores of California.
Sunday, 11/23/25 ~ MBYC Day 16 ~
You know what they say about the best lane plans… Well, Pete‘s plan was to find the leak that’s coming from the bathroom shower. To do that, he had to get access to the fiber optic camera, which is housed in a plastic container in the locker, underneath our bed. As he started to access that locker, he found things were damp. Thankfully, tools were in plastic cases and the soft goods in vacuum bags. After removing most of it, he found water at the bottom. Well, that changed plans for the day. With everything out and placed in the cockpit to be washed, we tested the raw water pump used to wash down the anchor. Yup, that was the culprit. At first, Pete attempted to reset the rubber flange. After a second attempt, it did not resolve the problem. It just made it worse. Guess who needs a new water pump?!! So, since most of the damp and dripping stuff was passed over the bed, I had to wash all the bedding. While I did that, Pete ran to West Marine. Well, at least something is going right! They are having their pre-black Friday sale!!! Pete was able to get two new lines to replace our aft lines that were damaged in the hurricane. He also was able to purchase the pump and shrink wire clamps, all at almost half price. We had also previously ordered deck squares to elevate the bed. I found some light mold under the mattress, and I wanted to make sure that we had air circulation underneath it. The timing was great. The deck squares arrived from Amazon while I was doing laundry. While Pete continued to install the new pump, I worked on the dock next to our boat, which thankfully is about 8-foot wide. I thoroughly vacuumed the mattress. Then sprayed it with a Clorox cleaning spray. I was shocked when all the gray spots disappeared! I then assembled the deck squares and cut it to fit the mattress. By 7 o’clock everything was back into the locker. The deck squares were sitting underneath the mattress, and I could make up the bed for this for bedtime, which I know is gonna come real early tonight!
Monday 11/24 /25 ~ MBYC Day 19 ~
The mechanic forwarded the report on the fluid from the transmission. There was a number of different metals showing in the fluid. Not good. According to his summation, we need a new transmission. Pete, in between work, was checking the availability of various transmissions, either new or rebuilt. Catalina Direct said they could order us one and it would be a minimum of 9 weeks. YIKES!! When he finally took a break from work at three, he emailed Pedro in Fort Pierce the report along with what the mechanic said. Pedro texted back shortly thereafter saying “I see nothing in the report that scares me. I would do a complete flushing twice and then add three-quarter transmission fluid with 1/4 TransMedic fluid should take care of it and you should be good to go.” Fingers crossed. Pete emailed the project manager at the mechanic shop to request that they do what Pedro said. We shall see….
Pete was interested in a golf driver club he saw on Marketplace. He met the seller at The PGA Store. They rented a room that uses a computer to analyzed swing, for arc , direction and distance. A great place for Pete to test drive the club. It was a beautiful club intended for a pro golfer, not for Pete. Since they had the time, Pete tried another driver that has peaked his interest. As he began his swing, a ball rolled in from another room. He stepped on it as he put his foot flat. He twisted and over stretched a muscle on his right hip. He hurt. Walking into Walgreens, Publix and then down the dock was very difficult. So was sitting. He found customizing the sofa with pillows placed in strategic locations made him more comfortable. If he is not better in the morning, he will get it checked out.
I walked Tillie this morning. Pete slept well, but the area is swollen, stiff and achy. He sat carefully during is had conference call and was able to work. He was feeling ok enough to walk the dog at 4 ( in the pouring rain!)
Photo ops from Tillie and my walk this morning
I ran to Michael's in South Myrtle Beach in the hopes of finding inspiration for making Christmas ornaments. Then stopped at Publix for some last minute items I forgot last week. I never gave thought to the heavy traffic and tight parking with all the "Black Friday Week " sales! The skies were cloudy when I entered the Publix, but it was raining when I came out. Of course I was parked at the end of the lot and needed to return my cart (and my neighbor’s cart) to the store. I was so glad that the rain had momentarily stopped once back at the marina. I could see the sheets of rain approaching as we loaded everything on board. It then poured. Tillie was demanding going for her walk during the heaviest part. She and Pete were drenched, even wearing their raincoats.
Wednesday, 11/16/25 ~ MBYC Day 21 ~
Pete worked all morning while I cleaned. Mid-day, he received a call back from The Transatlantic Diesel / transmission people, in Virginia. They have the right transmission for our engine. Pete asked them to please hold it until he spoke with the mechanic. We then discussed possible options for repairs as well as travel. It is still a mystery.
After, we had time to read up in the cockpit for a while.
Thursday, 11/27/25 ~ MBYC Day 22 ~
I found a great recipe on the internet for Crockpot Turkey made with chicken seasonings, onion, garlic, apple cider, orange juice, onion soup mix, and cranberry sauce. Cooked it for 5-6 hours and absolutely delicious. My only regret is that we only have 1 leftover meal. Next time, I will use 2 turkey breasts!
Before watching the movie Spy Game with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, we had a piece of Publix's delicious Flourless Chocolate Torte.
Friday, 11/28/25 ~ MBYC Day 23 ~
Mr. Jimmy called this morning. He feels that just changing the fluid will lead to problems long before we arrive in Florida. The gears are breaking down. There were metal particles found by Brian prior to sending out the transmission fluid for analysis (We did not know this). He will check his supplier first thing Monday morning, as he is a dealer for the type of transmission we need. Either we, or he will order the transmission, price and delivery dependent . Once received, he will have a crew out to do the 2-day installation asap. Looks like we will be here a while longer.
I worked on blog most of the day. The month is just about written, but the photos need to be worked on. It is a good weekend to make some serious progress.
Saturday, 11/29/25 ~ MBYC Day 24 ~
It was another cool morning. With the enclosure it is comfortable sitting in the cockpit. Tillie demands time up there each day. Today, Pete enjoyed reading up there, while did a lot of work on the blog.
Being cold, raw and windy, we decided to skip the Holiday Boat Parade. We would have to walk out to the Lighhouse and stand with hundreds of others in the cold with very little viewing space. It just wasn't worth it. We might be disappointed, but we remained comfortable and warm!
After Pete all time favorite dinner: hamburgers and potato salad, we settled in to watch some movies.
Sunday, 11/30/25 ~ MBYC Day 25 ~
It was partially cloudy this morning, with temps in the mid-60s. Pete and Tillie spent the morning in the cockpit while I worked on the photos for the blog. I am learning more on the new photo processing software. It will still take some time to master it.
This afternoon, we opted to take a ride south of Rt. 17. We stopped at Molly Darsy's Irish Pub. It was dog friendly, with outside dining overlooking the ocean, and they serve Shepard's Pie, which both of s really enjoy. While eating, we cold see the clouds building from the west, the winds increasing and the temperature beginning to fall. Since the car is comfortable, warm and rain proof, we decided to continue traveling south towards Murrell's Inlet. We didn't make it all the way, but had a nice ride. On the way back we went through a few light showers. The heavier rains held off until we returned to the marina.
We enjoyed some munchies for dinner and caught a few movies. By the time I took Tillie for her last walk, the rains has stopped, the skies cleared, the temps were in the low 40's and the winds were 12-28 from the NE. The tide was extremely low making the trek up the dock a bit of a climb.
It is hard to believe that tomorrow is December 1st, there are only 25 days until Christmas, and we are not yet halfway to Fort Pierce! Hopefully, we will hear from the mechanic tomorrow as to the status of the transmission. It all remains a great mystery.
You would newer guess that I love sunsets!
~ ~ /) ~ ~ K & P
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