J and B YACHT ULTRA ADVENTURE - MARSH HARBOUR, ABACOS to PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA MAY 16, 2010 - AUGUST 13, 2010

MARSH HARBOUR, ABACOS TO PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA

MAY 16, 2010 - AUGUST 13, 2010

ONLINE AND ON THE PHONE IN HOPETOWN, ABACOS

BILLETS OF RUBBER LIKE WE FOUND WASHED UP ON THE BEACHES IN THE BAHAMAS

STORY OF THE BILLETS OF RUBBER ORIGINATION

May 16, 2010
Today we prepared for Merle and Katie's much anticipated arrival tomorrow. We took the computer to shore to do some last minute computer work before they arrived. We upgraded our Boat US towing insurance to Gold in preparation for our crossing in a couple of weeks back to the US via Magic Jack telephone service. We also took a dip in the hotel pool and got a dollar beer at the bar.

SAILOR CHECKING OUT THE SEA CREATURES

CONCH INN, CURLYTAILS AND MOORINGS DOCKS

THE MOORINGS DOCKS MARSH HARBOUR, ABACO

CURLYTAILS RESTAURANT (THIS IS WHERE THE BAREFOOT BANDIT STRUCK)

MERLE AND KATIE WITH THEIR FLAMING ANNIVERSARY
DESSERT AT CURLYTAILS

PICKED UP MERLE AND KATIE AT THE CONCH INN
AND TAKING THEM BACK TO ULTRA

LUNCH AT ABACO BEACH RESORT, MARSH HARBOUR, ABACO

MAY 17,

Today we headed ashore to meet Merle and Katie. We brought rum punch and helped them check into their room. We hung out in their room in the a/c and caught up after not seeing each other in over a year. We then walked around Marsh Harbour and went to the duty free shops and local shops. We then headed over to the Abaco Beach Resort for some Kalik beers (local Bahamian beer). We toured the hotel grounds and then back to their room at the Conch Inn to enjoy some air conditioning and rum punch. We had a great dinner at Curlytails Restaurant. It was complete with the waitress bringing a surprise flaming dessert to celebrate Merle and Katie's belated 42 wedding anniversary, since we missed it.

MERLE'S GIANT STARFISH DISPLAY AT TILOO CUT

CASTLE ON THE WAY TO TILOO CUT (FOR SALE FOR A PRETTY PENNY)

KICKING BACK ON THE BOW IN MARSH HARBOUR

HAPPY HOUR AT THE POOL

KATIE WITH A GIANT STARFISH SHE FOUND

DINNER ABOARD ULTRA

May 18,


Today we served breakfast aboard and then headed for Tiloo Cut. We dropped the hook and went snorkeling. While we were snorkeling there, the tender for Canflor Girl came over to ask what we were diving for. We found some sanddollars and sea biscuits. We also took some photos with the giant starfish. We then headed off for a dinghy ride and off to the beach to do some more exploring and have few ice cold drinks. We then headed back to Marsh Harbour and loaded up and headed to the swimming pool with drinks and hors'. We had a quick shower and then back to Ultra for a Mahi Mahi dinner aboard.

LOBSTER DINNER ABOARD ULTRA

May 19,

We all slept in today and then headed into town to Marsh Harbour and walked around and went to the shops. We headed to the pool and then showered up and had a great lobster dinner aboard Ultra.

ANGELFISH

SEA FAN FOWL CAY

SILHOUETTE OF MERLE AT FOWL CAY

 MERLE SNORKELING AT FOWL CAY

PASS THROUGH AT FOWL CAY

MERLE AND JOANNE LOOKING DOWN
THROUGH CAVE AT BILL

 

JOANNE DIVING FOR SANDDOLLARS

STINGRAY

GREAT SWIM THROUGH

SILHOUETTE OF MERLE SNORKELING

JOANNE SWIMMING OVER CORAL REEF WITH POMPANO FISH

FUNNY BOAT NAME

SAW HOOTER PATROL IV DOCKED AT ABACO BEACH RESORT
ON HARBOUR CRUISE ABOARD ULTRA

SITE SEEING IN MAN-O-WAR CAY

ULTRA ANCHORED OFF OF MAN-O-WAR CAY

MAN O WAR HARBOUR CRUISE - KATIE'S NECKLACE WE GAVE HER AS A WELCOME GIFT

I SCREAM AND YOU SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM

May 20,

GROUP PHOTO WITH HOPETOWN LIGHTHOUSE IN BACKGROUND

We departed Marsh Harbour for Fowl Cay, Mermaid Reef and Man o War Cay. We had great snorkeling at Fowl Cay. A huge number of fish, i.e., groupers, snappers, grunts, and incredible corals and swim throughs. The great thing is there were not too many other boats. We then headed for Mermaid Reef. We spotted a lethal lion fish in one of the memorial markers for a sea captain. Someone yesterday had reported seeing one in that area. We then had a quick shower and then off to Man o War Cay. On the way, we made conch fritters and went ashore and had a conch fritter picnic. We had a great walk around the settlement and then Merle bought ice cream for everyone. We took a dinghy ride around the harbour and then headed back to Marsh Harbour to drop a hook for the night.

HOPETOWN HARBOUR LODGE

DINGHY DOCK HOPETOWN

GROUP PHOTO IN HOPETOWN HARBOUR

CUTE HOUSE HOPETOWN

May 21,


Today we picked up Merle and Katie and sailed to Hopetown/Elbow Cay. This is one of our favorite places. We took a great walk around the town and went to all of the great shops. They loaded up at Iggy Biggy which is our favorite store there. We then headed to the pool and got some Kaliks and a swim. After a wonderful long day aboard we headed back to Marsh Harbour.

POOL AT ABACO BEACH RESORT

KATIE AND JOANNE IN POOL AT ABACO BEACH RESORT

RAKE AND SCRAPE AT THE JIB ROOM

JOANNE DOING THE LIMBO

DESMOND CARRYING JOANNE UNDER THE LIMBO POLE

DESMOND LIT THE LIMBO POLE AND NOW TO LIGHT HIS CIGARETTE FROM IT


WOW!!!!!! LOOK HOW LOW HE WENT UNDER THE POLE AND THE CIGARETTE LIT

MORE FUN AT THE JIB ROOM

May 22,

We took it easy today. Since Merle and Katie will be leaving tomorrow, we are spending the day in Marsh Harbour. We saw the duty free shops again and then off to the Abaco Beach Resort for drinks and a dip in the pool. We showered up and then to the CurlyTails Bar for Happy Hour. We then dinghed across the harbour to the Jib Room. Tonight is Steak, Fish or Chicken dinners for $15.00 at the Jib Room. WOW! That is a real deal in the Bahamas. We arrived just in time and had some Rum Punches and got in line for dinner. It was then time for the "Rake and Scrape". If you are not familiar with this, this is the Bahamian music that is performed using anything to make a great sound. A handsaw with a screwdriver, a drum made with goat skin, cow bell, washboard, box guitar, etc. It was alot of fun and Bahamians really get into it with Bahamian dance moves. The next event was the Limbo Contest. We used to have so much fun doing this aboard Ultra for our charters, with our boat hook as the limbo pole. Desmond was the star of the show. He has performed for many of the top cruise ship lines, won many professional limbo contests, and for many of the Bahamian resorts. After several people in the crowd going under the limbo pole, he then proceeded to pick JoAnne up and carry her under the limbo pole in his arms. WOW! We all had a great time and it was a perfect ending to a perfect week with Merle and Katie.

BILL AND RAINBOW OVER GUANA CAY

RAINBOW OVER GUANA CAY, FISHER'S BAY 

May 23,  Great Guana Cay 26.40.164N, 077.07.250W

Today Merle and Katie will depart for San Antonio. They will be flying the Yellow Taxi airline for $79 round trip to Ft. Lauderdale then onto San Antonio via Southwest. We are headed to Great Guana today. We then head to Treasure Cay to stage ourselves for our crossing through the treacherous Whale Passage and then onto to Green Turtle Cay. We had a great sail today and dropped the hook in Fisher's Bay. We had a bit of rain shower today that produced a spectacular rainbow so big that we could see both ends of the rainbow. We headed to shore for a walk around and then to the pool at Grabber's. What a great surprise. We saw our friend, Chase there from the sportfishing boat "Expedition". We also saw people that recognized us from the Jib Room. It is a small world here.  We headed over to Nipper's and then back to the dink and get ready for the rain storm. 

May 24, 2010 26.40.203N, 077.16.937W
We departed for Treasure Cay today. TheTipsy Seagull is where the music video for the song by Billy Currington "God is Great, Beer is Good and People are Crazy" was filmed.

 The link for the music video is: http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--209125944

You will also see the bar in our photos. We headed to the pool and met some really nice people there. We had noticed that there was a Texas flag on one of the sportsfisherman. We had not seen a Texas flag in a long time. We decided to take a dinghy ride around the marina and then say hello to our fellow Texans. We met another Captain Bill and the family that owns the boat. He invited us to dinner tonight. They are having a fish fry of Mahi Mahi and beers. It is small world. After some conversation, Captain Bill graduated the same year Bill did from the same high school in San Antonio and then moved to the Clear Lake Area for a short time (the town where we currently live now). He and Bill knew all of the same people. The kicker to the whole thing is that he used to be a CPA. Well....long story short, he recoginized Bill's name and we recognized his name from Bill's divorce documents of when he worked on Bill's case, of which we had shredded many moons ago. Now he is retired from being a CPA, now a boat captain and now making us dinner and drinks. He also upon our departure, sent us home with 10 pounds of stone crab claws that cost $20 per pound. The world is really, really small world isn't it? Life is full of surprises.   

May 25,
We rode our bikes around town and hung out in the pool awaiting our weather window.


May 26,
Still awaiting weather window. Getting the boat ready for our crossing and then too hot so off to the pool.

GREEN TURTLE CAY

BILL IN SWIMMING POOL, GREEN TURTLE CAY

OUTDOOR BAR GREEN TURTLE CAY

JOANNE IN SWIMMING POOL WITH ULTRA
ANCHORED OUT IN THE BACKGROUND

GIANT STAGHORN FERN. WOW!

LOUNGING AT GREEN TURTLE CAY AFTER LISTENING TO GREAT STORIES OF DAYS GONE BY FROM A LOCAL THAT HAS LIVED HERE LIFE AND SO HAVE ALL OF HIS RELATIVES SINCE THE DAY THEY ARRIVED FROM ENGLAND

ULTRA ANCHORED OUT IN WHITE BAY, GREEN TURTLE CAY

BILL GRILLING OUT AT GREEN TURTLE CAY

FULL MOON OVER WHITE BAY

May 27,

BEAUTIFUL SUNSET AT ALLAN'S PENSACOLA

SAILOR CHECKING OUT THE FISH

GOLF CART ON THE BEACH AT
ALLAN'S - PENSACOLA

INTERESTING ART WE SPOTTED ON OUR HIKING TRIP

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM ARTWORK IN THE TREES
WE SIGNED OUR BOAT NAME, TOO.

SWING MADE BY CRUISERS

JIMMY BUFFET FOR PRESIDENT T-SHIRT ON THE BEACH

TREASURE ON THE BEACH, ALUMINUM FISHNET FLOAT

UNUSUAL TREE TRUNK

ULTRA ANCHORED AT ALLAN'S-PENSACOLA

BILL REELING HIM IN!!

SPANISH MACKERAL WE CAUGHT ON THE WAY TO GREAT SALE CAY

BILL FILETING THE SPANISH MACKERAL, YOU GO BILL!

We departed for Green Turtle Cay. The Whale Cay Passage was great. We arrived in White Sound and dropped our hook. We headed to shore to get fuel and then unloaded the fuel jugs and back to the dock and walked around the town and then to the swimming pool. We then headed over to the Green Turtle Yacht Club and walked around. Green Turtle Cay is a very cute and quaint settlement. We took Sailor for a dinghy ride to visit our friends aboard the boat, (SOLSTICE) anchored off of our stern.

May 28,

We departed Green Turtle Cay for Allan's - Pensacola. On the way, we dropped our hook at Allan's Cay while Bill scrubbed the hull and JoAnne hunted for conch. Bill did a great job on the hull scrub. Clean as a whistle. JoAnne found conch, but no keepers. They were all too small. We pulled up the hook and headed for Allan's - Pensacola. On our way there, we caught 2 huge barracudas and a large Mackeral. Bill filleted him and we ate him for dinner. Of course, you know Sailor was right there waiting for his sashimi from Bill. We arrived and dropped the hook.

May 29,  Anchored Great Sale Cay 27.00.671N, 078.12.052W

We woke up early to go ashore for a hike and check out the beach. It was a great beach and we signed our name where all of the cruisers have before us. We found lots of great sea glass, sea beans and even an aluminum fish net float. Someone had even hung a t-shirt that said Jimmy Buffet for President. After a great morning hike, we departed Allan's-Pensacola for Great Sale Cay. This is where we will make our jump off to the USA.

BILL ON THE BOW THE MORNING OF OUR CROSSING FROM GREAT SALE CAY

ONE OF THE SUNRISES AND SUNSETS ON OUR WAY TO THE GOOD OLE USA

OUR LITTLE NAVIGATOR

WE HAVE ARRIVED ABOVE OUR HURRICANE INSURANCE LINE

ROMANTISEA ANCHORED OUT BY US AT ST. SIMONS ISLAND

Dinner aboard Romantisea with George and Johanne

May 30, 2010-June 1, 2010 St. Simons Island, GA 31.09.678N, 81.25.252W

We have a great weather window and we departed Great Sale Cay for St. Simons Island, GA. We had learned from Chuck and Patty of S/V Soul Mates that we can do a check in with our boat name and coordinates on the SSB net every morning and every afternoon as we make our passage. If we miss a time of reporting in, they will contact authorities to search for us. What a great and free service. We were religious about calling in. We had a funny experience. Since we were new to the net and someone relayed for us, since we were out in the middle of the ocean, they understood our boat name as "OKRA". So we made a joke to each other and said, WE ARE SOUTHERN FRIED. We then gave them the phonetic alphabet spelling of our name. Guess we were a little loopy from lack of sleep and being out at sea for all of those hours.

We arrived without incident and arrived on June 1, 2010. We used the spinnaker for about 10 hours straight on our passage. We then motorsailed the whole way. We arrived in St. Simons Island, GA. at around 3:00 a.m. and dropped our hook. We could see another boat anchored near us, but could not see a boat name. We went to bed and then phoned the customs office in Brunswick around 7:00 a.m. We scheduled for them to come check us at around 11:00 a.m. We were tidying up the boat, when Bill heard someone calling us. The VHF was off and the cell phone was not ringing. Who was it??? Turns out it was the boat behind us. The boat that we could not identify last night in the dark was our great Canadian friends, George and Johanne of Romantisea. He was calling us on his boat haler system. We called them on the VHF and they invited us for dinner tonight after we were done with our check in and got some sleep. What a great surprise! We pulled up to the Golden Isles Marina dock. There we were greeted by the new General Manager, Chris. We did not know he was the new manager, we thought he was a new dock master. He was so gracious and told us to take our time and not be in hurry to get off of the dock. This was such a treat after being underway for so many hours and a lack of sleep. We washed down the boat, filled our tanks, and checked out perfectly with the customs agent.

We arrived back at the anchorage and then dropped the hook and took a nap. Dinner was at 6:00 p.m. We had such a great time and Johanne had cooked shrimp scampi, great salad, and corn on the cob. We had such a great visit. We stayed at their boat until midnight.

OUR FAVORITE SWIMMING POOL!! : ) GOLDEN ISLES MARINA

M/Y " KING BABY"

June 2,

We slept in this morning. Romanitisea came cruising by and headed north. We said our goodbyes and told them we would see them in Annapolis. We headed to ashore and paid our monthly dink fee. We are so happy to be back here. We arrived at the dock and M/Y KING BABY was at the dock. We had just gotten through reading an article about them in Yachting and Showboats magazines on our crossing. What a small world. We are truly blessed to have such great friends like the team at Golden Isles Marina. Melissa and Chick were working today. We said our Hellos and then told them we would love to catch up when they get off work. We went straight to the pool and felt like we were at our home away from home. We went to Coastal Kitchen to say Hi to Morgan, Mark, and Jeff who are the managers. We ordered two waters and an order of their famous lobster nachos. We hung out and decompressed after staying up so late and lack of sleep for the past few days. When Melissa got off work she came to the pool to swim with us. We had some beers and Sean the bottom boat diver also was with us.

June 3,

We took our bikes ashore today and rode around St. Simons Island. We went to Winn-Dixie and Red Box to rent some movies. We looked at the board to see what movies to rent. We had not seen an entire movie on the menu board. Usually we have seen at least one, but this time none. We realized we have been gone a really long time. We rented buy one, get one free. The guy before us told us to use the codes of either "BOARDROOM" or "DVDFORME" to get a free movie. We then rode around some more and then back to the pool.

June 4,
David and Marla of Adesso phoned us today to tell us they would be arriving tomorrow. Fun! We have such a great time with them. We worked on boat projects and then of course, it gets so hot in the boat that we head for the pool.

June 5,
We awoke to the sound of Adesso's music and them motoring by Ultra. We are so happy they are here. We told them we would let them get organized at the dock and then we would come and meet them and head over to visit. It was so hot that we all went to the pool and caught up with them there.

June 6,

We borrowed Melissa's car today to go to West Marine and Wal-Mart. It is wild being on the road after not driving a car for such a long time in the U.S. You tend to drive on the wrong side of the road and then you are on a highway and everyone is going 100 miles per hour. We were both a little freaked out in the big stores, since we have been shopping at the teeny tiny Bahamian stores or at a local's home for our groceries. We survived the traffic and chaos of millions of people. We headed back to the boat and saw Marla and David.

ALFRED AND JOANNE ABOARD DUTCH GIRL

June 7,
Melissa has been so gracious to let us borrow her car to run errands. We are trying to buy boat parts and exchange boat parts. We also had Home Depot and Dollar Tree on the list. Alfred invited us aboard a boat he is taking care of for a quick harbour cruise to run the engines. So fun and a totally different perspective than aboard Ultra or our dink.

June 8,
Today was a pool day. It is so hot. We cannot stay aboard the boat in the afternoon without a/c and do not want to spend the money to run the generator to run the a/c so the pool is the next best thing.

June 9,
We are still fixing the things that we could not fix in the Bahamas. We need parts for this and that. So off to the store to find the right parts. We then hung out in the pool with Melissa after she got off of work and then back to the boat.


June 10,
We rode over to St. Simons on the bikes to see the Village. We then went in to see Eric and Jen-Jen. Eric has already left for the Philippines and Jen-Jen is holding down the fort at the store. We had a great bike ride around town. This area is so visitor and pedestrian friendly.

June 11,
We invited Melissa and Andrew aboard for dinner tonight. Guess what we served, you guessed it, Mahi Mahi. Our freezer is filled to the top, so we are whittling it down. We had a great time catching up.

June 12,
Pool and boat projects.

June 13,
Pool and Projects.

June 14,
We had to cancel dinner aboard to due the rain and thunderstorms. After the rain broke, took bike ride over to Winn-Dixie to return Red Box movies. Marla and David invited us for cocktails and hors’ when we returned. Happy Hour Aboard Adesso. Marla made fantastic Green Tea Martinis in stainless steel martini glasses straight from the freezer. With a heat index of 104 here, HOW REFRESHING!


June 15,
Today was so unbearably hot, that we spent a large portion of the day in the swimming pool. We had wonderful Happy Hour again aboard Adesso. Marla made fantastic Lemon Drop Martinis with her famous homemade Lemoncello. We had such a great time.

June 16,
Boat Projects all day.  We had a technician onboard who helped with electrical.  We then had David and Marla for dinner aboard.  We had conch fritters, mahi mahi, Marla's fingerling potatoes and Chocolate Malibu Rum Cake. 

June 17,
Pool and Boat Projects.

June 18,
David and Marla came to pick us up to go shark tooth hunting. Bill had to duct tape JoAnne's Sperry topsiders on her feet so she did not lose them in the mud, since her Teva sandals have been sent off for a new free pair after coming apart on the iron rock in the Bahamas. What a fun day. Marla had good quiche and had sweet Georgia peaches served up with it. A picnic in the dink. We arrived at the island and found sharks teeth right away. We then headed to another spot and found more.

June 19,
We had dinner aboard Adesso. Melissa also came, too. David and Marla did great. They served boiled Georgia Shrimp, asparagus, and wild rice. The best part was a chocolate brownie dessert with Blue Bunny Ice Cream "Bunny Tracks" with blueberries on top. What a great combination. We had port wine and then Marla's homemade Lemoncello. Oh my, good thing the boat is close. We had a great time and David and Marla are so fun and go all out.


June 20,
Boat projects and pool.

June 21,
Boat projects, bike ride to The Village and then to the pool.


June 22,

Today we drove David and Marla to the airport. We went to Costco to redeem our rebates. WOW! We have forgotten how big stores are in the US. We stocked up on some of our favorite items and then headed over to the Omni Hotel to redeem a gift certificate that we had received from one of our charter groups. We had a great dinner and then headed back to St. Simons Island.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND BEACH ON OUR ANNIVERSARY

COASTAL KITCHEN FOR ANNIVERSARY DINNER

June 23,
Today is our 10th wedding anniversary. We cannot believe it has already been that many years. We slept in today and then headed for the beach at St. Simons Island. It was great just kicking back and enjoying the surf. After a dip in the pool, we got dressed and had dinner at Coastal Kitchen and the great manager, Morgan, comped our drinks and and fantastic dessert.

PATRICK, AMANDA AND JOANNE AT TOPWATER GRILL

BABY LILA

LISA, PHILIP, DAVIS, CHAP, JOANNE, AND LILA AFTER THE KIDS TOOK THE SOFA CUSHIONS AND BUILT A FORT IN THE LIVING ROOM

ELLYN AND JOANNE

June 24, 2010 - June 29, 2010
JoAnne flew to Houston today. Amanda and Patrick picked me up at the airport. They took me to lunch at the Topwater Grill that was recently rebuilt after Hurricane Ike totaled it. They then took me to our house, to be sure that all was well. We were greeted by our wonderful neighbor, Ellen. It was great to be back, but alot to do. Cleaned up the house, cleaned up the yard, and the best part was seeing everyone. We also picked up our mail that we had not gotten since December. We sincerely appreciate all of the Christmas cards and birth and wedding announcements. We love getting all of those and it was like Christmas in June. Keep them coming, we get them late, but we still get them and enjoy them just the same. I went to Anne's house tonight and we stayed up watching movies. It was so great to catch and also enjoy Anne's great cooking. She made a great dinner for Kathryn and I. Saw my girlfriend Lisa and spent the day with she and her husband and four wonderful children. Thank you to Archie and Kathy for the wonderful brunch and also for all of their help in cleaning the yard. Stayed at Patrick and Amanda's the night before I left Houston. We had a great time catching up and enjoying each other's company. The morning that I was to depart, Patrick and Amanda had a surprise. Their beautiful ruby red sportscar that they had shown me in their garage the day I arrived, was about to be taken for a spin. Patrick and JoAnne loaded up in the two seater and headed out on I-45. The car seems to go 0 - 60 in 1.5 seconds or something like that. We were battling it out with the stormy weather that Hurricane Alex with all of the dark clouds in the sky. We had a great tide and then the sky fell out. Of course the top was down. We were soaked to the bone, but who cares. It is fun. We stopped underneath the overpass for a bit to let the rain subside so we could see. Then off again for a great ride. Patrick and Amanda definitely made the right choice when they got that car. They have had more fun with it. A big thank you to our association for fixing our hurricane shutter at the last minute. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful friends and family support team while we are out chasing our sailing dream. JoAnne departed Houston after a delay caused by Hurricane Alex when the original plane was struck by lightning. JoAnne finally arrived at 7hours later than the original flight arrival at 10:00 p.m. and Melissa picked her up in Jacksonville, Fl and over to Melissa's mother's house for an errand. Then drove to St. Simons Island arriving at around 2:00 a.m. So, so happy to see Bill when I got home.

While JoAnne was gone, Bill worked and worked on the boat. He worked on the stereo speakers, painted, worked on bilges, built storage compartments, worked on the engine, everything. He was a worker bee! He also helped a rescue a family's jet skis they had lost due to the tide and helped them get them back. The storm was rolling in and the jet skis were out off of Bird Island where the shark's teeth are found.

June 30,
This morning we took it easy and then headed to the pool. We invited Alfred and Ellen his wife aboard the boat for cocktails and appetizers when he gets off work. They arrived by skiff and rafted up. We had a great time. They have invited us to their family reunion in Isle of Palms in a couple of weeks when we will be in Charleston, S.C. We told them we would not miss it for the world.

July 1, 31.35.700N, 81.12.361W
We departed St. Simons Island and headed north. We anchored in the Wahoo River.

MOON RIVER

ONAVENTURE CEMETERY, SAVANNAH, GA, FROM THE GREAT MOVIE "MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL"

July 2,
Depart Wahoo River for Moon River. This is the river made famous by Andy Williams old classic "Moon River".

HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA

July 3,
Departed Moon River for Bull Creek in Hilton Head, S.C. Tonight is their fireworks display. We worked on a few boat projects and then watched the fireworks show. We could see the fireworks from Hilton Head, Savannah, Tybee Island, Beaufort and many more.

RHETT MANSION IN BEAUFORT, S.C.

WATERFRONT PARK GARDENS DONATED BY THE BEAUFORT GARDEN CLUB

BEAUFORT WATERFRONT PARK

SOUTH CAROLINA FLAG

SAILOR IN HIS RAIN SLICKER

July 4, Anchored in Beaufort, S.C. 32.24.754N, 080.40.349W

HAPPY JULY 4th everyone! We departed Bull Creek for Beaufort, S.C. Tonight is their fireworks show, so we will have more firework shows tonight. We headed to shore to check out the town and then back to the boat for fireworks. This is a very cute town and lots of history. The homes are truly amazing. It looks like the front cover of Southern Living Magazine.

BILL TALKING TO GRANT ON THE PHONE

SPORTSFISHERMAN "COOKIE MONSTER"

July 5,
We headed to shore today to walk around and get some exercise and see the great sites. We then boat projects.


July 6,
Toured around Beaufort more and then worked on boat projects.


July 7, Anchored Church Creek 32.42.567N, 080.11.295W
We departed Beaufort, S.C. and headed for Church Creek.


July 8,

Anchored in Ashley River 32.24.778N, 080.40.387W at Beaufort, SC. We had phoned the Charleston Yacht Club yesterday to be sure we could dock our dinghy at their dock. They said no problem. We met Tony and he showed us around. There is a sportsfisherman tournament at the Beaufort City Marina next door so we will head over and check it out for the weigh in. We jumped on the city bus and got off downtown and walked around the town to see the town shops and explore the numerous Antebellum homes. Charleston is also known as the "Holy City" since there are over 200 churches in the city. We then came back to the fishing tournament and walked the docks. There was prize Mahi Mahi and he was over 40 pounds and was not as big as the two we had caught. We ran into Trevor from St. Simons Island. He is the captain of the pilot boat there. He is working aboard a boat from St. Simons for the tournament. We had a great visit.

LOW TIDE

LOW TIDE DINK DOCK

CHARLESTON YACHT CLUB

TYBEE TIME SPOTTED US IN THE HARBOR ON THEIR
WAY TO NORTH CAROLINA AND CAME OVER FOR A VISIT

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ONE OF CHARLESTON'S BEAUTIFUL TREE LINED STREETS

THE DISCARDED STONES THAT WERE USED FOR THE BALLAST IN SHIPS WERE
THEN USED FOR THE STREET

GREAT GRAPHICS

GREAT GRAPHICS

PRIZE WINNING MAHI MAHI

RAINBOW ON ASHLEY RIVER, S.C.

July 9,
We headed to shore with our bikes and rode around town. It was so hot, we headed back to the yacht club for happy hour. We met the commodore, Jim and his lovely wife and their friends. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting and Jim invited us to their home for dinner. We were so tired from our long stay that we asked for a raincheck. The race week is here next week and they told us of all of the activities scheduled for that time. We also invited them to our boat when they have an opportunity while we are in town. They have such wonderful Southern Hospitality.


We had a great surprise tonight. On our way back to the boat from the club, we saw we had company and a large catamaran anchored by us.

SABBATICUS ANCHORED OUT IN ASHLEY RIVER, SC

DRINKS AND DINNER ABOARD SABBITICUS
KEVIN, CONNER, DENA, BILL, JOANNE

ONE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS' SHIPS

July 10,

Great surprise this morning. We looked through the binocs and saw that it was our great Canadian friends from British Columbia,  "Sabbaticus". We are so excited to see them.  We have seen them since we were in Leaf Cay, Exumas. They had just arrived from Great Sale Cay. They had their quarantine flag up and were checking in with customs. After that, they came over to visit. We were so happy to see them and were sharing boat stories right away. They headed to shore to take care of paperwork and we rode our bikes to the famous Broad Street and King Streets. We ran into Sabbaticus downtown and they had signed up for a tour. We went to Harris Teeter and met a wonderful Air Force Veteran named Charlie. He told us he was 90 ½ and we told him he looked only 70. AMAZING. He told us of all of the great stories of his career. He wanted to hear about our life aboard. He worked several years at the Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. What a small world.

FREDO SCURFING

LUKE SCURFING

LANEY SCURFING

JOANNE SCURFING

ALFRED SCURFING

BILL SCURFING

KATIE, ELLEN, JOANNE, ALFRED

DINNER AT THE BATTEY'S BEACHHOUSE

July 11,
Alfred (the Dockmaster from Golden Isles Marina) came to pick us up and we headed to the Isle Of Palms. We arrived at their home and saw Alfred’s wife, Ellen and her daughter Katie. We then had a quick lunch and then Fredo, Alfred’s son, his daughter Laney and their friend, Luke. We headed to the IOP marina and then loaded up in the boat for a scurfing experience. WOW! What a workout. As a lot of you know, Bill used to be in a water ski show in college and is an excellent water skier. We have both skied on water skis and also wake boarded. Well, scurfing is a little different, but so much fun. We were able to ride on our knees, but the standing up was a lot more difficult. There was also so much SexWax surfboard wax on the board that we literally stuck to it. We had a great time scurfing through the dolphins that were swimming all around us in the creeks and rivers. Went over to the large family house and Alfred’s immediate family is 38 people. WOW! We had such a great time meeting their parents and then each of the 7 siblings and their children. What fun. We grabbed some drinks and headed to walk the beach. Back for dinner. Each of the siblings rotated and cooked dinner one of the nights of the family reunion week. We had a great dinner and enjoyed visiting with everyone. We arrived back at the boat at 11:00 p.m.

July 13,
We have been able to leave our bikes at the Charleston Yacht Club and leave our dinghy at their dock. We rode around town and saw the sites. We returned back to Ultra to do some boat projects and we heard someone blowing a conch horn. We thought it might be Sabitticus, since we had given them one, but no, then a boat around us, but no, and then we see our good friends Dirk and Nancy from Tybee Time pull up along side of us. They are making their way north, but saw us anchored in the harbour. They had called us on the VHF, but we did not have it on. So great to see them. They are on their way to sell their boat and buy another boat if all works out.

July 14,
Today we went early to have a sail maker take a look at our torn sails. In the Bahamas, we got a tear in our 20 year old set of sails (main and head sail). We spoke to the expert there a and she said it would be $200 to fix the sails. Her schedule is booked up due to race week next week and we thought we could repair the sails ourselves with our Sailrite industrial sewing machine. She said that we could save a bit of money by doing the work ourselves. We had also taken our sewing machine to her this morning, because the thread kept breaking due to the tight thread tension. She took a look and of course it worked great for her. Who knows why it released, but thank goodness it did. We took the sails back to the boat and sewed them. WOW! What a job cramming a huge sail through a small pass through the sewing machine. We were both cussing the sewing machine. We got a call from Dena inviting us for dinner aboard Sabbaticus. YEA! We have been rescued from our project. We of course said yes and Dena cooked fantastic mahi mahi enchiladas. It was so great to catch up.

ON OUR WAY TO THE POOL

CHARLESTON WATERFRONT HOMES AT THE BATTERY

FORT SUMTER, CHARLESTON SC

July 15,
Today we got a call from Sabbiticus inviting us to the swimming pool. Conner had found a public pool near the Citadel that we could go to. It is so hot, hot, hot. A pool is the perfect solution. We took the dinks to shore and then hiked it to the pool. It was not open yet so we headed for a cold beer and played pool at a pub. It was Dena and JoAnne against their son, Conner. So fun. They went to a baseball game at the local stadium and we headed home to pick up our bikes and prepare for a early departure tomorrow.


July 16, Anchored 33.22.018N, 79.17.189W
We departed beautiful Charleston today and headed north with Sabbaticus. We arrived in Georgetown, S.C. and dropped our hook in the harbour. We laid low tonight.

BIG, BIG ALLIGATOR CRUISING THROUGH THE HARBOUR AT GEORGETOWN

THE SABBITICUS CREW

ULTRA ANCHORED OUT AT GEORGETOWN

THE BOARDWALK AT GEORGETOWN

LISTENING TO GREAT LIVE MUSIC

DENA ON THE TAMBORINE

LINE DANCING

July 17,
We worked on a few boat projects and then went out to a local pub tonight for happy hour with Dena and Kevin. We had a great time complete with the Electric Slide and the tamborine playing. This a very cute town. The band was fantastic.

July 18,
Today we shared a taxi and went to Dollar Tree and Walmart and stocked up on provisions.

SAILOR BEFORE HIS ICE CUBE RUB DOWN, IT WAS OVER 100 DEGREES TODAY~

July 19, 33.52.338N, 78.34.201W

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU WILL SEE FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER

SWING BRIDGE

We departed today and headed north. We anchored in the Calabash River. Today was a very long run. our guide stated that this was a good anchorage, however, in the middle of the night we awoke to multiple shrimp boats spotlighting us and one that was even being towed down the channel and then numerous charter fishing vessels in the morning. After a crazy night,we departed early for our next destination.


July 20,

SAILOR SPORTING HIS PARTY HAT WE MADE FOR HIM, HE TURNS 1 YEAR OLD TODAY

We departed the Calabash River and headed north. We did not get far before we were delayed at the Sunset Pontoon Bridge. We had to wait 2 hours for it to open due to low tide. We just anchored in the channel and waited for it to open. We arrived at South Harbour Marina. After a rough night, we decided to treat ourselves to a night at the dock. This marina is only $1.35 per foot and then they offer a 10 percent Boat US discount and then their fuel has a nickel savings per gallon. GREAT DEAL! This is a treat that only happens once or twice a year. On the way here today, we stopped to pick up our mail at another marina that we had it shipped to. The current was ripping and the wind was honking. We came flying into the dock and then Bill spun it and all fenders and lines had to be moved to the starboard side at the last minute. It was crazy. Sabatticus was going to dock and get some water. Well after what we had been through and blew passed them, he said no thank you, SCUD, as in scud missile, we will just go slow and let you all catch up after your business is done. Too funny. Another funny phrase has been coined. After we got organized at the marina and plugged in with A/C, we invited Sabbaticus over for dinner tonight. We made conch fritters, you guessed it again, Mahi Mahi and Deena's amazing salad. Also, today is Sailor's 1st birthday, so we shared photos of him we had taken in his party hat that we made for him today. Too funny. We had a great night. Conner went to go and play his video games aboard their boat and we had a great visit with Dena and Kevin aboard our boat until 2 am. So fun! It is so fun to have a Boat Buddy that we have so much in common with. 

July 21, 34.02.842N,077.53.356W

Today we slept in a bit and then headed north to Carolina Beach. We arrived at Carolina Beach and we got a call on the VHF as we arrived from our friends aboard Seaveyor. They are at a marina and saw us cruise by. They told us where a great place to anchor was located. We both dropped our hooks. We launched the dink to scope out the area and where the dink dock was located. We arrived back at the boat and about an hour later we had a great surprise. We heard a boat coming and it was the tender to Seaveyor. They rafted up to Ultra and we had a great visit.

ULTRA AND SABBITICUS ANCHORED OUT AT CAROLINA BEACH

July 22,
We headed to the beach today. Sabbaticus is ashore and we are meeting them there. We took our umbrellas and coolers in tow. It is hot, hot, hot. We had a great time. The ocean was the perfect temperature and we body surfed and boogie boarded the waves.

July 23,
We headed to the beach again and then back to the boat for a shower. We headed to shore and went to have Tex-Mex and watch the fireworks. There is an amusement park area and we headed to check it out. Conner loves rides and so do JoAnne and Dena. JoAnne rode, the upside down roller coaster, the sleigh ride, and the surf ride with Conner. It was great. Dena loves rides too and she road the boomerang style ride with Conner. We stayed late and then headed back to the boat.


July 24,

We departed Carolina Beach for Masonboro Inlet/Wrightsville Beach.  This was a very skinny water area. We ran aground here and so did Sabbiticus. They were able to get off, but we were stuck. Our awnings were up and we had sailed onto a shoal. Our good friends, Tow Boat US, were near by and they towed us off. It only took 5 minutes. We were so happy. This is the first time that has ever happened. It was free and worth it. We do not want to bend our rudder, ever, ever, ever. We arrived at the anchorage, however, it is not good at all. It feels like you are in a channel because everyone is zooming in and out of the anchorage and there is no one to enforce the no wake factor. We even had people being pulled on tubes by boat and were going around and around and around our boat. CRAZY! We headed to shore and then to the beach, too crowded! We then were back to the boat for an early night for departure tomorrow.

July 25,
We waited for high tide for our departure from Wrightsville Beach and made our way to Mile Hammock. We saw a huge military (Marines) hovercraft and many tanks along the way on the ICW. We arrived at the anchorage and the wind was a little stormy and blowing 25 knots. Sabbaticus had invited us over for happy hour and cards, but we took a weather rain check.

SABBITICUS FLYING THEIR SPINNAKER

July 26, 34.43.666, 76.48.390W

We departed Mile Hammock for Morehead City, South Carolina. We arrived at the great anchorage in Spooner's Creek and headed ashore with our beach dolly that we made. There is a Walmart, Lowe's, West Marine in walking distance. To our surprise, Dena and Kevin had phoned their friend they knew that lives here and she is picking us all up and taking us shopping. We met Sharon. She is terrific. Kevin and Dena met she and her sons at Great Guana Cay, Abaco at Nipper’s. They then saw them in Treasure Cay. Since Sharon is from here, they were able to call her and meet up with her. Conner was also able to see her sons with whom he has become great friends. Sharon ran us all over town, Walmart, West Marine, and Dollar Tree. We stocked up on items that we were low on. We came back to the boat, unloaded and then back to meet Sharon and take her to dinner. Jan and Sharon took us to Amos Mosquito. Great seafood dinner and even smores on a hibachi type burner.

GETTING READY FOR OUR FLIGHT WITH JAN

KEVIN HAVING FUN OR WHAT?

WHAT A VIEW!

JOANNE, CONNER AND BILL IN THE BACK SEAT

JAN OUR WONDERFUL PILOT AND WHAT A GREAT TAKE OFF 

CAPE LOOKOUT LIGHTHOUSE

FORT MACON

ULTRA AND SABBITICUS ANCHORED OUT IN SPOONER'S CREEK

HAPPY HOUR ABOARD ULTRA
DENA, KEVIN, BILL, JOANNE, SHARON, AND JESSIE

JAN, DENA, KEVIN, JESSIE, BILL, JOANNE, AND SHARON
DINNER AT SHARON'S HOUSE

HAPPY HOUR AND LIVE MUSIC AT THE BACKSTREET PUB

July 27,

Today we had some additional errands to run at Walmart, Lowe’s and West Marine. We do not always buy something at the store, but we can hang out in the a/c and then learn about what other products are out there.  were headed back to the boat and took a little tour up the creek a little further to check out more of the beautiful homes. We saw a guy out on his dock cleaning and cleaning. He had tons of clothes and boat gear out. We said, a boater’s projects are never done. He called us over. He proceeded to tell us that this is what they were able to salvage off of their boat that sank. It was a 42 Viking Sportsfisherman. He and his family (total of 8 people) set out for Beaufort, N.C. for a fishing tournament and were 17 miles offshore and in 60 feet of water. Rick noticed that the boat was acting a little sluggish. He went down to check it out. He opened the hatch and the engine had chest deep water in it. He told everyone to get their life jackets and be prepared to jump in the water. He called the Coast Guard and due to the great EPIRB that he had onboard, the Coast Guard was there almost immediately. The boat went down in 7 minutes and they were in about 6-8 foot seas. They still not know what happened to cause the water to come into the boat. The navy seals happen to be in the area and they also assisted with the rescue. We and Sabatticus had heard the Coast Guard rescue the sportsfisherman “Reel Time” on the VHF when we were in Charleston. The items that were on the dock were what they had dove for that morning. Check out the article at the following link that Rick sent to us. Rick knows all about the Clear Lake, Texas area that we are from. He has the Ram Jack franchise. That is the company that jacks up the foundations of homes. He worked on many of the beachhouses in Galveston and Surf Side when Hurricane Ike eroded so much sand away from underneath them. The name of his little boat is ”Jack Um Up”. Rick used to take the boat that sank to the Abacos all of the time. He knew many of the locals that we knew. Rick was so nice and offered his car to us to run errands, his showers, his cold beer in the frig, and his dock to leave our dinghy when we go to shore. Such wonderful hospitality.

WEBSITE LINK FOR RESCUE::::::::
http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/98603199.html?storySection=photo

We then came back to the boat and worked on some boat projects. Sharon and Jan (pronounced "yawn") invited us to go flying today. It was a Piper Cherokee 180 4 seater. Kevin in the front seat and Bill, Conner and JoAnne in the back seat. We took off so smoothly and were up in seconds. We then flew over the beautiful coastline and then over to Ocracoke Island and the famous Cape Lookout Lighthouse. We then flew over our boats that are anchored out in Spooner’s Creek. We had a great flight and the pictures and video turned out great. Whenever you are in the area, you must look up Jan to take you out for a flight. We then came back to the boat and got ready for Happy Hour aboard Sabatticus. It was great for Conner because he was able to have a slumber party with Sharon’s sons, Curran and Landon. Bill and I lost track of time and ended up staying until 2:09 a.m. WOW! Where does the time go. So fun. Now we have the record of how late can you stay at someone else's boat and beat Dena and Kevin's record by 9 minutes.

More links to the USCG RESCUE OF REEL TIME:
http://www.flyfishinsalt.com/news/news/epirb-aids-in-rescue-of-8-1000084426.html
http://www.marlinmag.com/news/news/epirb-aids-in-rescue-of-8-1000084426.html

RICK FROM JACK UM UP AND REEL TIME

July 28,
Today we slept in and Sharon has invited us all over to her home for dinner. We were cleaning up the boat and we had a great surprise visit from Rick of Jack Um Up. He was headed out to go for a cruise in his boat to see what was going on with one of the engines. Bill headed to the store and got some boat parts, while JoAnne stayed behind to prepare for Happy Hour. Sharon and Jessie ( her friend), came aboard for Happy Hour so that they could see our boat. Bummer that Jan had to work late so he was not able to come. Deena served up her great Sangria and our guacamole and chips aboard Ultra. We then loaded up and headed to Sharon’s house. Jan had cooked on the grill for everyone.


July 29,

Today Kevin called and came to help with our engine. He has the famous Nigel Calder book on Engines and had some great info to share. They worked and worked for about 3 hours. We then got showered up and headed to Walmart to get some oil. We stayed up last night changing the oil until 3:00 a.m. JoAnne was actually so tired that she fell asleep in the helm chair waiting for Bill’s next request to start the engine to cycle the oil through. We headed to Walmart to dispose of the oil from our boat and Sabbaticus. We were doing some shopping in Walmart, when guess who is there. We run into Dirk and Nancy from Tybee Time. They are in a shipyard with Tybee Time now. Their new boat purchase did not work out, so they are preparing their boat to sell and then work on getting a new one in a year. They will go back to work until they find the perfect new boat for them. What a small world. We then headed off to treat Sharon to some fun. Kevin had the great idea of going to a place to shoot some pool. Bill and I have not played pool in a hundred years and this year we have played pool 5 times. Funny. Who knew we knew how to play pool so well. Especially, Bill, he is a great pool shark. Amazing! The things you learn about your spouse that you never knew. Kevin, too. He banked shots and they always went in! Bill and Kevin could support our cruising lives with their pool playing expertise. We had a great time. We played 3 games of pool at BT’s at Atlantic Beach. $3 margaritas and $5 pitchers of beer. We picked up pizza and headed to Sharon’s house for dinner. WOW! She is the hostess with the mostest. We had a great time and we sincerely appreciate all she has done for us.

July 30, 34.42.707N,76.39.084W
We departed Spooner’s Creek for Beaufort, N.C. We arrived at the anchorage. We got fuel and pumped out at Beaufort Docks. We then anchored in Taylor Creek. Great location and has a great dinghy dock. We headed to Scuttlebutt's Book Shop to buy Nigel Calder's Engine Book. We met up with Kevin and Dena there. We headed to the Backstreet Pub for some happy hour Yeng Ling draft beer. They had a great band and we chilled out there.

July 31,

We got a call from Jan and he wanted to come and check out the boat to see about the engine. He stayed for 9 hours aboard. We got a call from Kevin and Dena saying let's go to the Backstreet Pub for some beers and listen to the ban. We were ready asap. We went by Scuttlebutt's Book Shop again to pick up the chartkit for Norfolk to Delaware Islands. We stopped by a few galleries to window shop and then to the pub. Sharon and Jessie met up with us there.

August 1,

Today we worked on the boat and stayed aboard. It rained all night and is still raining. We have invited Kevin and Dena aboard Ultra for lobster rolls tonight. They are the lobsters that we bought from Emil and Cameron of Captain Ryan in Georgetown. Small world, Dena and Kevin also bought lobsters from Emil and Cameron. We had a great time and stayed up late, late again.

August 2, 35.05.537N, 76.36.309W
We departed Beaufort, North Carolina today and headed north. We pulled a 45 mile today. We anchored in Broad Creek.

August 3, Anchored Pungo River 35.33.478N, 076.28.096W
We departed Broad Creek and headed for the Pungo River. We dodged several crab traps.


August 4, Anchored Alligator River 35.55.901N, 076.01.614W
Departed Pungo River and anchored in Alligator River. Lots and lots of crab traps in the channel. we arrived at Alligator River and set the hook. Kevin called over right away and asked if we could come over for Happy Hour complete with Dena's homemade pizza. Of course we said yes, and we would be right over. It was a late night as usual, but always so much fun!

August 5, Tied up to Free Dock in Elizabeth City, N.C.

After dodging tons of crab traps we finally accidentally picked up one in the prop.We anchored and Bill dove in and removed it. Bad thing was it was just the float and line and not the trap with the blue crabs in it. That would have been a bonus for dinner. We arrived at the dock and the former mayor, Steve Atkinson was there to tie us up. He told us all about the weekend's events. Tomorrow night, there will be a live band playing in the park for Harbour Nights. On Saturday, there will be a Farmer's Market. The great thing is that we just have to step off of our boats, and the band and the market will be right there. We went to have sushi tonight and someone opened the door to leave the restaurant and it was pouring outside. We and Sabbiticus had left the windows open. Aboard Ultra, we had left our head window open and had not put something over the one hatch that leaks over our bed.

THE "UPHILL" BAND IS SETTING UP

KICKING BACK WITH RITAS AND LISTENING TO THE BAND

DRINKS AND APPETIZERS ABOARD ULTRA

THE HONOURABLE MAYOR MAKING A PROCLAMATION THAT THIS WEEK BE USCG WEEK

August 6,
Today, we went to Farm Fresh. They some to pick you up and take you to the grocery store. The prices are extremely reasonable. We came back to the boat and walked around town. We were given permission today to participate in the Farmer's Market. Tonight we got ready for the party. The band was setting up and we were cleaning up. Everyone was on the waterfront and everyone was onboard our boat and Sabbaticus to see our boats. We had Happy Hour aboard ULTRA with Sabbaticus and then everyone started to show up on the lawn. Chairs, coolers, etc. We also met Wilson and Margaret that own the condo off of our stern. Wilson was also in the Millwork business like Bill. They also have a home in Kitty Hawk. Margaret bought one of our conch horns, so she could blow it from the balcony of her beach house at sunset. The current mayor of Elizabeth City was to make a Proclamation that this eek be Coast Guard Week in Elizabeth City. We were dancing to the music and sitting the nets people watching and listening to music. We then started mixing more margaritas. The mayor and his wife, the newspaper manager and his wife, and many retired Coasts Guard were all around. It was alot of fun and we served up margaritas. Small world. The boat that had pulled in that day that was in a slip, was from Kemah. What a small world! They had a home just across Clear Lake from us. They also had a Bouncy House at the Harbour Nights. Dena, JoAnne and Conner all got in and had so much! Great exercise.

OUR BOOTH WITH HONOURABLE (outgoing) MAYOR STEVE ATKINSON VISITING

BOOTHS AT FARMER'S MARKET

CONNER'S NEW BIKE

DENA RIDING CONNER'S NEW BIKE

August 7,

We awoke this morning to Dena making homemade eggs benedict for all of us. What a treat! We set up our booth and the attendees were there bright and early. We are selling some of our coastal jewelry and our homemade art. There was a huge turnout. We bought fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers that grew them. We were even lucky enough to trade our jewelry for homemade bread. We then headed to the Museum to check out the wonderful history of this area. We had dinner aboard Sabbaticus tonight.


August 8,
We departed beautiful Elizabeth City and headed for the Dismal Swamp. Just beautiful! The cypress trees are gigantic! We saw several turtles and one alligator. We went through the South Mills Lock and are on our way to the Welcome Center to tie up for the night and explore the shore. What a surprise. We both got tied up and then shortly after a 60 foot yacht showed up. We had last seen them in the Bahamas. It was Miles Aweigh. We helped them tie up and brought out the Happy Hour items. We had dinner aboard Ultra tonight.

SABBITICUS CRUISING UP THE DISMAL SWAMP

THE LOCK IS CLOSING

DISMAL SWAMP FREE TIE UP FOR THE NIGHT

CONNER UP THE MAST GOING THROUGH THE LOCK BRIDGE

CHECK OUT ALL OF ROBERT'S CONCH SHELLS

ROBERT MAKING HIS SELECTION FROM THE CONCH HORNS BILL MADE

ROBERT SALUTES US WITH THE CONCH HORN WE GAVE HIM WITH GREAT MUSIC AS WE ALL DEPART THE LOCK

TRIMARAN WARSHIP

SABBATICUS AND ULTRA AT THE FREE DOCK

THE FERRY RIDE TO NORFOLK

WARSHIP

AMERICAN ROVER SAILBOAT

August 9,
We headed out to the Deep Creek Lock today. We had a great trip. We met Robert that we had heard so much about. He is a fantastic Conch Horn player and we had a conch horn that Bill had made to give to him. He played it and then asked us to write our name in red nail polish on the conch horn. Amazing that he can play it like a trumpet. He told us of The Commodore Movie Theater in Portsmouth and it was a must see. We arrived in Portsmouth at the Free Dock and tied up. We took a walk around the town. The movie had already started, so we will see it tomorrow.

DINNER AND A MOVIE AT THE COMMODORE

August 10,
Today we jumped on the free bus and took a ride around town. We then headed to the ferry and went across to the Norfolk mall so Dena, Kevin and Conner could stock up on clothes. It was nice to be in the a/c, too. We then headed to the art galleries and the battleships. This is the largest naturally deep port in the United States. We are surrounded by aircraft carriers, battleships and navy tenders. We headed to the movie theater. It is a beautiful art deco theater that has the old fashioned dinner and a movie. We saw the new movie "Inception". We have not been to a movie in over 2 years.

BALANCING THE SALT SHAKER

August 11,
We got permission from the Renaissance Hotel to use their pool. Bill and JoAnne went to the pool and Dena, Kevin and Conner went to the mall. We all met up at the and headed to have some pizza.

CANNING PEPPER JELLY ABOARD ULTRA

August 12,
Today we headed north. We got a about an hour away from the dock and we heard a Coast Guard call stating that there was a severe weather warning that included large hail, thunderstorms, and 70 mile per hour winds. We decided to head back to the dock and leave tomorrow. We cleaned up the boat some and then Dena and JoAnne canned pepper jelly. great time. They jelly turned out perfectly. We then cleaned up and Dena made an awesome dinner aboard Sabatticus. She made lobster cakes and pasta. WOW! What a treat and they were also from Emil and Cameron of Capt. Ryan. We had a great night. We then took a walk over to the Tidewater Marina to the Deck Restaurant and listened to the live Reggae music.

August 13,
Today we departed the dock again and are headed north. We are about 150 miles from Annapolis.



We hope that all of you have enjoyed this blog. It crashed a few times, so there are probably some typos that we missed.  Oops.  We hope that this blog finds all of you happy and healthy.  We sincerely appreciate all of you sending us Christmas Cards in the mail.  It really means alot.  We get them in June when we have our mail sent, but it is like Christmas in June.  We look forward to hearing from all of you and how you all are doing. 

Sincerely and Fair Winds,
JoAnne, Bill & Sailor Kitty :  )