05 February 2012 | Coconut Grove Miami
09 January 2012 | Coccnut Grove Miami
15 December 2011 | St Augustine
14 December 2011 | Fernandia Beach
12 December 2011 | Isle of Hope Georgia
06 December 2011 | Charleston South Carolina
03 December 2011 | Southport NC
03 December 2011 | Wrightsville Beach NC
03 December 2011 | Mile Hammock Bay
03 December 2011 | Beaufort North Carolina
27 November 2011 | Hoboken cut
27 November 2011 | The Alligator River
27 November 2011 | 36 17.93 76 13.36
27 November 2011 | the Great Dismal Swamp
21 November 2011 | Norfolk Virginia
18 November 2011 | Norfolk Virginia
30 August 2011 | reedville
Bringing Us Up to Date
05 February 2012 | Coconut Grove Miami
Andy
Its Sunday morning 5th Feb 2012. We on a mooring at Dinner Key Marina, Coconut Grove, Miami. We have been here since Rebecca left on the 8th Jan. after her week with us. We have spend the time getting ready to depart for the Bahamas, filling the new cupboards we've built with tinned and dried food, canned drinks and anything that can be stored on board fro later consumption, we plan to buy very little in the Bahamas as everyone tells us its very expensive. We have a new water maker capable of producing 30 gallons an hour, in the Bahamas water can be difficult to find and costs about 25 pence/gallon, it could cost us £60 to fill the tanks!!. We've gathered all the bits and pieces that will be more difficult to find once we leave the US, engine spare and the like.
The weather is looking good for a crossing to the Bahamas later this week, Thursday or Friday. We need a southerly wind to have a comfortable passage across the Gulf Stream which runs south to north in the straits between Florida and the Bahamas, the stream runs at @ 3 knots and any northerly component to the wind can make for some very unpleasant conditions! Our plan is to Cross to Bimini the nearest of the Bahamian Islands and only 50 miles from florida so with a departure before dawn we will hopefully arrive in the early afternoon in time to clear customs and immigration before they close for the day.
Another update when we arrive in Bimini if we can get an internet connection
Rebecca's Visit
09 January 2012 | Coccnut Grove Miami
Andy
We had to be in Miami for the 31st Dec. to meet Rebecca who was flying out and arriving that afternoon. We Left Boca Ratan (the Rats Mouth) at @ 08:00 and motorde down the ICW headed for Fort Lauderdale where we would leave the ICW and head out into the Atlantic fro the last 20 miles to Miami, this was necessary because between fort Lauderdale and Miami was the Juliet Tuttle Bridge with a fixed vertical clearance of 53 feet our mast is 63 feet high!. It was a beautiful day and all when well until we arrived at Government Cut, the entrance to Miami harbour. This is a very busy narrow entrance and is the main entrance for cruise ships and huge cargo ships. As we were approaching the entrance I had noticed a very large container ship approaching, but is was all under control until the steering cable snapped right in the middle of the entrance!!! We were not happy, the guy on the container ship was not happy and it very nearly all ended there, But with some help and the emergency tiller we managed to avoid being run down. We made it to Dinner Key Marina where we had decided to take a mooring as it was only 6 miles from Miami airport. with some local help I tracked down stainless steel wire and the necessary crimps and the repairs were in completed in time for Rebecca's arrival.
Rebecca arrived loaded down with all of the things we had asked to bring out for us, she did a fanastic job to the point where all her personal packing clothes etc had to go in her hand luggage as we had commandeered all of her luggage allowance!
Although the weather wasn't good (by floridian standards) and a cold front brought some stronger winds and cooler temps we had a nice week pooping down to Key Largo for a couple of days then finishing up in No Name Harbour in the Bill Baggs state park on key Biscayne, that's where the lighthouse in the photos is to be found. then back to Dinner Key to get Rebecca off to the airport to catch her flight home
The Spanish influence
15 December 2011 | St Augustine
Andy
St Augustine claims to be The oldest settlement in North America (forgetting of course the indigenous Indians) The Spanish arrived here in 1500 and something. We spend a relaxing 4 days here enjoying the holiday atmosphere of this lovely quaint little town. see the St Augustine photo album for a flavor of this place. We also managed to procure a honda EU2000i generator to provide us with some back up power, these little generators are pretty much standard kit on cruising boats providing up to 2KVA of power and runnning for up to 9 hours on a gallon (US gal) of fuel. Its nearly christmas (although it doesn't feel much like it yet with temperatures regularly in the 80s) so time to move on as we hope to spend a christmas in Vero beach
Sunshine State
14 December 2011 | Fernandia Beach
Andy
Sounds like something from a Beach Boys song does it not! It is however largely industrial with a wood processing plant alongside the river and not a beach in sight!. It is however still Florida
Georgia on my mind
12 December 2011 | Isle of Hope Georgia
Andy
We are now south of Savannah Georgia and only 120 miles from Florida!! we will soon be complaining about the heat.
A quick look around charleston
10 December 2011
Andy
Still in Charleston, Wednesday night and Thursday were interesting with gale force winds and gusts of over 40 knots in the harbour, had one or two boats dragging but own 72lb anchor appeared to take it all in its stride! Friday was sight seeing and after discovering that George Aiken was Governor of South Carolina in the 1800s and his home was opening to the public off we went. After a fascinating tour of this antebellum Charleston home we wandered off around downtown Charleston and enjoyed the pleasant winter sun in temperatures of around 23 deg.