Back in the USA
04 June 2007 | Beaufort, NC
Dave & Lisa
"Gator, Lisa fed him right off the back of the boat in SC and yes we still have Dallas"
Happy Birthday to Darleen, Mom, Denise, Debbie, and Amy.
A special Happy Graduation for our niece Courtney! We are proud of you!
After visiting Manjack & Pensacola Cays, we moved on to Great Sail Cay which would be our jump off spot for the states. We departed Great Sail on May 29th along with Beach Magic and headed for Beaufort, North Carolina with an arrival date of June 1. The forecast was looking good for a four-day passage. Winds were finally settling down to 15 knots with seas expected in the 3'-5' range. Well, like all forecasts, they always look good on paper, when we hit the gulf stream the winds had gone ENE, which is never a good thing. When the winds have a northerly component, it builds up the seas in the gulf. The first night was a rough ride and there was very little sleep with the winds building to 20 knots the seas continued to build. By sunrise, we were looking at 6-8' seas on the beam, which did not make for a comfortable ride. Throughout the 2nd day, we continue to head north with the seas subsiding a little. The crew was starting to wear down not to mention getting extremely board. When the ride is that uncomfortable, you can't do much to pass the time. No reading or watching DVD's, this may cause extreme nausea. Lisa and I split up the watches and after Lisa's watch, the seas were building against the 3 knots of current from the Gulf. It was 22:00 hours and we didn't want another sleepless night. So, a collective decision was made to exit the Stream and head into Georgetown, South Carolina. As soon as we were within 60 miles of the coast, is settled right down. We arrived in Georgetown, anchored and were in the first restaurant we could find. A cold beer never tasted so good!
Now we are making our way back up the ICW and expect to be in Beaufort, NC on Sunday, June 3rd. It is so green here! South Carolina and North Carolina are beautiful. Even though they have brown water. We saw some people swimming in this water and only 10 miles earlier, we had seen an alligator and a water snake. I guess everywhere you go, there is something in the water that keeps you alert. While in Beaufort, DJ will be shrimping as much as possible. After traveling through this area last fall, we really appreciate revisiting our favorite spots. Especially the ones with shrimp!
The latest storm, tropical storm Barry, has sent us gale-force winds and our sleep patterns have yet again been thwarted. Maybe sleeping in a house won't be so bad. That is, if we can find a place to live. Dream Catcher has a new owner! Does anyone out there have a rental in Dover, NH or a job? Will work for food!