Week Two in St. John’s, SC

Friday. 4/17/20 ~  While Pete prepped for a 10:30 conference call, I was able to scrub the floors.

     Once the call was complete, Pete and I headed out to “forage.”  BJ’s was first on our list.  Since it was about 35 minutes from here, we stopped at a Chick-Fil-A for salad lunches.  Once done at BJ's, we headed to Harris Teeter and the Post Office.  The only thing I didn’t get was Clorox wipes.  The stores were pretty empty of people, but pretty well stocked.  There are now concerns about meat processing plants and the food supply. Smithfield Pork processing is closed due to so many employees testing positive. We are going to keep the freezer full when possible, just in case.

Saturday, 4/18/20 ~ I enjoyed the view from the cockpit by chillin’, relaxing and reading, while Pete gave Bailey a bath and then headed to Lowe’s.  All he needed is a specific tool, but there were only 2 cashiers and a line that went to the back of the store.  He decided to come back to the store during the week, and hopefully, find less people. He also picked up some French Bread so I can make sausage and pepper Parmesan for dinner.

     Being such a pretty day, he headed over to try fishing again.  He did a lot of casting, but no catching! Perhaps another day.

     Today was the second internet meeting of CCYC, our sailing club on the Chesapeake.  There were about 15 “boats” attending and not just from the Chesapeake area (Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey) but 2 from Big Majors Cay in the Bahamas, Florida, Arizona, and 2 of us in South Carolina.  It was so much fun, Mike said he would host one every 2 weeks.  It is a great way to catch up with friends.  Next time I will make sure that we have snacks and drinks!

     We just chilled after dinner.

Sunday, 4/19/20 ~ The morning was wonderful. It was sunny, low 70’s gentle breezes and a great time to take a walk and take a photo or two. 
       

     It was good that we took advantage of such a nice morning.  By 1:30 the storm front approached.  Winds increased, thunder and lightning was around us and the heavy rains began.  Pete read and helped me defrost and repack the freezer.  I wrote the blog and am caught up.  However, I now need to process the remaining photos so I can blitz the posting.  Hopefully, it will be completed in a few days.  That’s my goal. Hope it works!

Monday, 4/20/20 ~ Another severe weather front was predicted between 2 and 10 am. Thankfully, it never fully materialized.  We had some heavy rains and some wind, but nothing unusual.
    After breakfast, I exercised on board. Since I couldn’t shake headache, I opted to catch a nap for a good part of the afternoon. It did help.
     Pete after some work, Pete headed out to get his tool at Lowe's. This time there were no lines. Once back, he sat up above to read.

Tuesday, 4/21/20 ~ Right now the fridge is more full than usual as we are making sure we are pretty well stocked.  However, the ice was pretty thick on the element so I had to unpack it and defrosted the fridge.  I took advantage of the defrosting time to get in my walk. Pete cleaned it up so that I could put everything back in.
     It was fun taking some photos of flowers on the walk.  I do miss gardening, but at least I can enjoy others' efforts.
        

        
It was cool seeing a cabbage that had bolted and a leaf that looked black brown really being iridescent in colors.
     After lunch, Pete headed over to fish. Unfortunately it hasn't become "catching" yet.
     It was the prefect time to proof the blog and prep the photos. I was able to post more to the blog!

Wednesday, 4/22/20 ~ While the car was being serviced, we ran some errands.  While shopping last week, I mistakenly picked up a bag of self-rising flour instead of all purpose flour.  Since the store was not accepting any returns, I still purchased the flour needed plus a few other items.  When the cashier checked the bag that had the wrong flour, I explained what had happened and asked if she or anyone she knew could use it. Thankfully it will be put to great use instead of the trash!
     We also needed a few things from Walmart, where I found some yarn and crochet needles for Pete's mom. She is bored so she asked the staff for yarn and needle, but they are very light and hard for her to work with.  Hopefully, she like the colors and thicker textures of the three skeins we purchased.  Our next stop was the Post Office so we could send it on its way.

Thursday, 4/23/20 ~ Pete and George were busy with a rush project all morning.
     I was able to post more to the blog, so I am pretty caught up since I am doing a week at a time while in port. Perhaps I will update today's after dinner and post.  Then I will be current! YEA

     It looks like we are in for another good storm later today. Winds are already picking up and will continue into the mid 20's tomorrow.
      By 5 pm, the storm had arrived.  Winds drove the rains for a good 2-3 hours.  We could barely see the bridge about 100 feet away.  We found two small leaks: one in the starboard hatch coming though the gasket, the other from the hatch in the bathroom, gasket again. Thankfully, it were very slow leaks.  The rain was so heavy that we couldn't get any satellite reception for the TV, but it was a good opportunity to read.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K

Week One in St. John’s, SC ~

Pete's least favorite job!

Friday, 4/10/20 ~ After breakfast, Pete got everything he thought he might need ready and, then with me serving as gopher, he proceeded to work his most dreaded thing – the head!  After 6 hours, with a lot of stretching, sweat and a few choice words, a new hose, and a super Cloroxed bathroom, we have success!

     Both of us will sleep well tonight. . . and have a very short walk to the head!

Tonight's view

Saturday, 4/11/20 ~ Pete wanted to check out fishing gear, so he invited me to join him at Walmart.  I took advantage to also do some grocery shopping.  The fishing gear was junk, but the supermarket was fairly well stocked.  I still can’t get Clorox spray or wipes, face masks or bandannas, but no problems getting meat and other provisions.

     We brought the groceries back to the boat, had lunch and then while I put things away, Pete headed off to a local fishing store where the salesman was very helpful and informative. (They were only allowing 2 people in at a time.) He came home with a decent rod, reel and tackle for a new hobby! 

    After dinner I read, while Pete did more research on fishing, including an app that helps identify fish.

Couldn't resist ~
Steam bubbles on crock pot top

Sunday, 4/12/20 ~ We prepped the boat for strong winds that are predicted to hit over the next 24 hours.  Pete doubled up lines and hung extra fenders and we made sure that things were secured and protected.  It didn’t take that long, because we regularly secure things when we are done with them.

     I started the morning, digging the crock pot out of the bow storage. I am making Corned Beef for dinner.  Ever since speaking with my sisters I have been craving a good corned beef.  Today’s as good as any to make it.  Especially since it is windy, rainy and cold!  We were not disappointed.  It was a pretty lean cut, but the fatty pad was still attached.  It was tasty and tender. So were the potatoes and carrots.!  YUM!

Monday, 4/13/20 ~  The winds were blowing 25-30 mph out of the SSE and the boat was rocking most of the night. Pete was even able to feel when the ebb current started to race around 3 am. When we woke before 7, there was already a tornado watch in effect for this area along with alerts for lightning, thunder, high winds, flooding, high surf, rip currents and pollen. Pete hurried to get Bailey’s walk in before the storms arrived in full.  His window was only 10 minutes and they made it back just as the first rains began to fall.  The lightning and thunder had already started.

     Once back on board, hunkered down and waited for the storms to pass. The winds were easily 35- 40 mph with gusts over 50! I kept the radio on and there were two additional tornado warnings: one north and one south of here. By afternoon the clouds dispersed, the winds lightened, the sun came out and the temperatures rose. By evening, there were reports of 7-9 tornadoes in South Carolina. One was an F-3, two others were F-2, and a few possible F-1/F-0, or sheer wind damage.  Waiting on the weather service to confirm.  Unfortunately, there were also 9 reported deaths. The closest tornado to us was down at Edisto Beach, around 25 miles from here. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the storms.

     I spent the afternoon starting to post the blogs to the internet. I am making good progress.

Tuesday, 4/14/20 ~  Pete worked half a day and tried his hand at fishing.  He enjoyed the 2 hours, had a few nibbles, but no bites.  Perhaps next time.

     I was able to finish posting everything that is ready to the blog.  I am almost caught up. I only have the past 10 days to finish.  However, knowing me, I will probably have 2+ weeks to post when they are ready. It is a shame to waste such a pretty day inside the boat, but this is the only way I will get caught up.

     Tonight’s local news reported that 20 tornadoes hit South Carolina yesterday. Due to the shelter in place and social distancing, the authorities though there might be more, but, thankfully, fatalities have not increased.

Bailey staying out of
 my cleaning frenzy

Wednesday, 4/15/20 ~  Pete had a full day of work; I did too!  I deep cleaned ¾ of the boat.  I still have the port side of the salon and the floor, but windows and woodwork were cleaned, shelves emptied, cleaned and reorganized as well as some storage areas.  I finally ran out of time and energy.

Thursday, 4/16/20 ~  As Pete settled in for a busy work morning, I headed up to do 4 loads of laundry.  Besides having 2 weeks’ worth of laundry, I stripped all the towels AND the rugs. Me and the trusty wagon headed up.  There were 3 others currently doing laundry.  I was able to visit with Ashley, her boyfriend, Fred, Chris from a few boats down from us.  Two machines are not working properly, so between other and the non-working machines, I had staggered my loads.  I sent the better part of 4 hours doing laundry.  Pete felt sorry for me and offered to bring up lunch, but I decided to eat it when I was done. 

     I was back by 2. Brought down the bags of laundry, hung the rugs to dry on the lines and ate by 2:30.  Once the laundry was put away, I didn’t feel guilty taking an hour nap.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K

Making tracks to Charleston, SC

Sunday, 4/5/20 ~  To Jekyll Creek ~  We were up and out by 7 am. The morning skies were covered with clouds. No picturesque sunrise today. The current affected out speed all morning.

     Fernandina Marina is now open for business. In this area I counted 7 boats that are destroyed and/or abandoned high above the waterline. We continued on, as we have reservations for Jekyll for tonight. Leaving from Fernandina in the morning to do an outside jump will cut our day by about 2 hours, which Bailey will appreciate.

St Mary's Submarine Base ~ Sub Degausser

      As we traveled north of the base, Pete saw a strange line in the water. As we approached, we were able to make our about 200 Cormorants.  As you can see, they decided they didn't like us interrupting their hang out time, so they took flight ~
   

     Pete had a conference call midday and I had to take us though the skinny water just above the submarine base.  Thankfully, the sonar charts allowed me to find the deeper water. Just north of Cumberland Island, there are more shallows where the Jekyll Sound meets the Atlantic Ocean.  Between winds and current, it was a cautious ride until we hit deeper water. 

     We were able to dock by 4:30, and Pete worked until 6:30 with changes needed after the call.  The skies had begun to clear, but the sun set behind the cloud bank.

Jekyll Island Marina at first light

Monday, 4/6/20 ~  Ocean Jump to Hilton Head, SC ~ We pulled away from the dock by 6:30 am.  The skies were just beginning to lighten.  It was a memorable journey due to the fog.  The sun rose as we entered the East River and began heading out to sea.   At times the fog was so dense we could not see anything. Thank heavens for radar.  We had the current with us, so we were making good time. Pete was at the helm, and could see on radar where the car carrier, Golden Ray is lying on her side.  We were abreast of it when I finally noticed the top of the crane above the fog.  The further out to sea we went the more visible the wreck was.

    

    

       

       

        

     Once out in the ocean, skies were clear, breezes very light to non-existent, and temperatures in the mid-60 to 70’s. We held to an average speed of 6.6 mph most of the day. Of course, that made it easier to spot things on the water. Between us, we saw 5 sea turtles, who were sunning and or sleeping on the surface, 2 of the Cannonball Jellyfish, 2 Man-o-War, lots of dolphin, cormorants and other sea birds, and Pete saw. . . drum roll please! . . . the back of a whale after seeing it spout water twice! The Coast Guard continuously reminds us of the Right Whales liking the shallow waters off of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, but never thought we would see one.

        
Sights as we headed out to sea ~

     
       
Calm seas, lots of pelicans and turtles asleep on the surface ~

    The sun was setting as we approached the Savanah River.  We saw 2 ships head out to see, but we had a clear ride up the channel AND the current was with us.  We had called earlier in the day to let the office at Harbortown Marina know that we would be arriving after hours.  They opted to let us stay on the fuel dock as we would be leaving early tomorrow.  It was pretty coming into the harbor with the iconic Light House at the entrance lit.

     Bailey was fed, walked, and we decided to head to the showers.  It was a good but long trip and we still have more to go.

Tuesday, 4/7/20 ~ To Port Royal ~ Once the bill was settled, we cast off lines and were on our way by 8:15.  Yesterday, we discussed the time required to make it to St. John’s Marina, and we would have issues trying to make it in by 5 pm, when the staff leaves. The currents on the Stono River are strong and, if you add wind, it can get real exciting if we aren’t careful.  We would prefer to have someone on the dock to receive lines.  So. . . we decided to get dockage at Port Royal Marina, which is only 3.5 hours from here. It would allow us to make the Ladies Island Bridge in Beauford before 7 am and, hopefully, to St. Johns before closing.  A lot depends on the currents.

            
SV STARS & STRIPES America's Cup Contender, Marker at high tide, Pete working and local feathered population apparently didn't agree with USCG color choice for green 21!

     Pete had to work most of the afternoon. I worked on photos to upload with the blog.  I have a month’s worth to post, but I have been hoping to have decent WIFI at one of the marinas since Pete needs so much data for work.  I haven’t gotten lucky.  So, my plan is to have organized, proofed and ready to post once we have WIFI.
       
Views from ashore at Port Poyal Marina, including the Marker 244 Restaurant ~

     We were placed on the long face dock at Port Royal Marina.  It makes leaving easier, but it is a l-o-n-g walk to shore. Exercise is good, but since we have developed “head issues,” after the staff left, that makes the walk up to the bathrooms longer! We hope to have the staff so a pump out (that would clear an obstruction if that’s the problem) in the morning, then try to make the 9 am opening of the bridge. It doesn’t open between 7 and 9 and then 3 to 6 for commuter traffic.   Oh well. . . It is time for another walk.

The only sun all morning!

Wednesday, 4/8/20~  Pete tried calling the dock master’s office every 10 minutes from 8 am on. He didn’t get though until 9:10.  Due to the virus, they are on modified hours, and we didn’t know it.  It was now too late to start heading to Charleston and get in at a decent hour.  We instead booked a second night.  The harbormaster apologized for the confusion over hours and comped tonight’s stay.  When we tried to do the pump out, the blockage wouldn’t clear. Pete has done a lot of research and we have all the necessary spare parts. He replaced the joker valve, but it is still not working properly. He will try a few more things once we get to St. John’s.
     Once done assisting Pete, I went to work posting the blog.  It took the afternoon and most of the evening, but I was able to post all of March with 11 different postings! Now, I have to catch up with the last 10 days.  Once we are settled, I hope to get that done soon.

Thursday, 4/9/20 ~ To St. John’s Marina ~ The alarm went off at 5:30 and we were underway by 6:15 as the skies were just hinting at the coming day.  We were at the Ladies Island Bridge by 6:45 and requested by the bridge tender to wait another 5 minutes to see if there were any other boats hoping to also make the opening.  We were the only ones who made this opening.

I think Pete
has the photo of 10.0 mph!

     We made pretty good time for the first 2 hours as we were running with the current. As we hit the current change, the winds kicked up to about 15-20 mph.  With the jib, we were able to motor sail at about 6.5-8 mph even against the current!  This has never happened before.  Boy, it was great to see our ETA being reduced!  As we traveled the Stono River, we kept increasing speed.  About a mile prior to our turn at Elliot’s Cut, we were cruising at 10 mph (I only captured the 9.6 mph).   The only other time we went that fast, was with the current while in Elliot’s Cut.  We actually hit 11 mph on a boat who’s hull speed is 7 mph!

     The winds had once again picked up as I was setting lines. They had to be gusting around 25 mph and the current running about 2.5-3 mph.  Not exactly my favorite circumstances for setting up docking lines.

     Pete had not problems “crabbing” into the alley and pulling into our slip. E and one of her crew were there to help us in.  We were in at 3:50 and found out that they now closed at 4 pm.  We got so lucky!

   This will be our home for the next month. We thought it best to sit tight and let the virus hopefully calm down and the restrictions loosen somewhat.  Even our home port in Maryland is currently under state mandate to be closed.  The folks here and the facilities are great. Our car is here. We know our way around the area and where the stores we need are. Most importantly, we are only 12 hours from family if needed.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K