Bellhaven to (almost) Georgia
21 October 2006
Jeanne/clear but going to rain!
October 18, 2006. We left Bellehaven about 8 in the morning, the weather was forecast to improve by noontime. It didn't, but we made 100 miles anyway. Some days are very good, some days aren't. I'd like to be able to make about 120 miles a day, but I'm not sure that's doable. We anchored in Swansboro, NC.
Oct. 19, 2006. The fog was so thick this morning that we couldn't weigh anchor until after 9, giving up an hour and a half of travel time, and struggling with poor visibility until 3 this afternoon. We made 90 miles today in spite of the weather, but we anchored in less than a perfect spot in North Myrtle Beach. We passed a lovely anchorage but it wasn't "time" to stop then. The sun is so low in the sky at this time of year that after about 4 in the afternoon the sun throws a lot of glare on the water which is very tiring and makes it difficult to see navigation marks, etc. Perhaps this was not the best anchorage, but TV reception was excellent. Even so, Peter went to bed shortly after 8.
October 20, 2006. The trouble with Peter going to bed so early, and having such good TV reception, is that he was up and watching TV at 5 this morning! I like the southern news a bit more because it's not the massive tragedy reporting we see further North, but I don't need this at 5 in the morning.
Peter also put on the water kettle for a new pot of coffee, and either I had to get up when the water boiled or listen to the whistle forever. I've been cranky all day. The wind started to blow a lot harder, and we were looking for a marina for the night; both as a secure place if the winds reached their forecast 20-25 knots, and also just for a rest and a chance to go out to dinner. Unfortunately, the first 3 marinas were rejected out of hand for one reason or another, including, at Wacca Wachee Marina where we bought fuel at $2.65 a gallon, the restaurant didn't serve anything "interesting" (so said Peter, anyway).
As the day got windier and I got more tired, we finally settled on Georgetown Landing Marina in Georgetown, a big, nice marina. Surprisingly, the night's berthing was only $1.20 per foot, with no extra charge for electricity. Bellehaven, the marine version of Bates Motel, charged us $1.25 per foot and $5.00 for electricity. Humpph!
Peter has a cold and I set out to find some Vicks NyQuil for him so he could get a decent night's sleep. The only place the marina could suggest was the convenience store at the BP service station about a half-mile walk up the highway. Peter came with me and he started loading up on junk food ??" "bear claws", cinnamon swirls, and a box of a dozen donuts. I can't eat any of those things, but I too was in the mood for some junk food and so we left with a box of DayQuil, a box of NyQuil, and a bag full of junk food that may be good for the soul but sure isn't heart healthy!
We went to the restaurant next to the marina for dinner. Unfortunately, as nice as the restaurant looked, I had a bad meal, probably because the fish was not fresh and I wasn't smart enough to send it back to the kitchen. A big mistake and even after 4 Pepto-Bismol over the next couple hours I was feeling pretty rocky all night.
October 21. In the morning I ran out the rest of our water tank, which I had foolishly filled in Matoloking which we know has very silty water. I put a new filter in our water filter to see if the sediment problem we are having is from the Mantoloking water or from the water tank itself (it's aluminum, not my choice of a water tank). We left the marina about 8:45, not as early a start as we might have liked, but the batteries are charged, we have clean water in the tank, and we should be able to make good time the next several days, at least until we reach Georgia.
This was a very good day for distance covered, ending anchored in Parrot Creek just after Statute Mile 520. We couldn't quite make Beaufort, but it looks as if we can be in St. Augustine by Tuesday without even pushing too hard.
Peter opened his junk food stash after dinner. He's hidden it in the electrical cabinet! He's eaten six of the dozen donuts he bought yesterday, and is working on some of the other goodies as well.