After yesterday's lesson we left at high tide and what a difference it made. Although we still had to be very alert not to drift off that lovely magenta line the cruise into Jekyll was calm and peaceful. The number of islands and the miles of meandering waterway is boggling. There are no roads connecting most of them so seeing this part of our country from the water or air are the only options and of course from the water it is more like a total enveloping experience. To be pushing along with the ducks and dolphins is amazing and this time of year rarely did we see another boat.
Jekyll Island Club is so interesting. Turn of the century retreat for the industrial millionaires - well preserved and documented - the "cottages" they built for a winter season are lovely. A huge development far from civilization provided them a retreat amidst like moneyed families. We got our bikes out and rode around before meeting our friends Lee and Rachel for dinner at the Club.

Back at the Isle of Hope marina outside of Savannah, GA, mile marker 590 on the ICW. Walking onto "Surprise" is like entering into another world; familiar as when one slips into or awakes from a dream. The in-between moments of not being sure which one is going to claim your presence and then the commitment to one at the exclusion of the other. Living aboard the boat is not just a physical transformation but a mental and spiritual one. A new paradigm imposes itself and it is most welcome.

Cape Fear has a neat set-up for southbound travelers. It's natural because of a rock formation and carries the endearing name of "Frying Pan Shoals". They work their way out from the north side of the inlet 20 miles into the Atlantic. This creates a real obstacle for mariners using the Atlantic to go South because they have to be way out as they parallel Cape Fear. Surprise went down the ICW and did not have to deal with the shoals but chose to leave the inlet and jump into the Atlantic because it was so hospitable to this direction of travel. Before we knew it we were 20 miles out anyway and couldn't see land and no cell phone service. The current was pulling us and without a natural range we just let our guard down. When we couldn't see land and there were no other boats around we decided to veer off toward land and follow the coast a bit more rather than cut the bay.
We entered in at the Beaufort inlet which is a considerable way from the town. Arrived around 5:30 or 17:30 - I am trying to get really comfortable with the 24 hour clock as it is used in sailing.
Nice marina - Harborwalk - close to town. Georgetown, like so many of the Southern waterfront towns with a history used the 90's to revitalize and although struggling a bit now have an infrastructure to support tourism - restaurants, shopping, historical markers, renovated old homes.
Quaint!

We left our anchorage late (relatively) because we did not have far to go. Weather has co-operated with our plans and we have had time to spare- so Keith had picked out the small town of Southport, NC to spend the afternoon and night. We got there and although it looked perfectly suitable, if a bit small, there was an island called Bald Head Island which beckoned us. Only 2 nm from Southport it has homes and condos, restaurants and stores, but no cars or bridges. A ferry or private boat is the only way here and there are thousands of acres of saltmarsh's and tidal creeks. We begged off the Soutport marina and came on over to this island naturalism and history. It has lighthouses from the Revolutionary era and blockade history from the Civil War. We rode our bikes all around and got much needed exercise as well as an intimate experience with the island.

We spent two days in Beaufort and then took off into the Atlantic to "go outside" to our next destination - which is Wrightsville Beach. We could have continued on the ICW but the weather was picture perfect to jump out into the Atlantic. We had a fabulous run with two other sailboats and all pulled into Wrightsville Beach at about the same time. A great anchorage behind the beach in an inlet - lots of boats and tons of little dinghys being sailed by youngsters. These are 2 men boats that turn on a dime by easing sails and shifting weight. Lots of fun. These are common up and down the coast and are staples for teaching kids to sail. We all enjoyed the sunset and these kids weaving their ways between the anchored boats. The beach was developed in an old school way. Close to Myrtle Beach but not huge hotels and condos. Just lots of beach houses with people and dogs walking, strolling and running around.

We left Pango Creek and took the canal further south through the backwoods of North Carolina. Navigating and maneuvering was tricky in spots. We saw lots of dolphins playing in the canal outside of Beaufort. The canal dumped us in a bay which had lots of outlying sandy banks sitting at the edge of moor-like islands which are part of the Outer Banks (OBX). We had a nice surprise to see the marina we had booked a spot at was in a great position on Front Street just off the old town. We decided to spend an extra day here to see the sites and enjoy the beautiful weather. We rode our foldable bikes around town - now they are foldable but not flimsy - amazingly. They are Dahon. Brilliant. We cleaned the boat in the morning in the sunny beauty of the waterfront before taking off. We rode the backstreets past many historic homes from the 1700's, stopped at the Old Burying Ground where there are Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers buried as well as settlers from Indian Wars. Contrast that with our next stop - The Piggly Wiggly! Those of us raised in the south remember them well. The ham hocks section was huge - many different kinds of pork fat products - the staple of southern cooking.