Pushing North through Georgia and the Carolinas
06 July 2011 | Oriental
Petty lucky with weather, but recently a lot of pm T-Storms
So after a leisurely stroll around Fernandina Beach we slipped the lines and a half hour later crossed into Georgia. Not chased by weather this time we did short hops, some inside, some outside up the eastern seaboard stopping in places we wanted to hit on the way south last year. Weather cooperated with us for the most part with the exception of winds which many times were on the nose (par for our course).
First stop was Cumberland Island, a national park just north of the St Mary’s river, where we spent a few days exploring and hiking through the island. Most of the island was purchased in the 1800s by the famous Carnegie family, driven by Lucy Carnegie. They then built a huge mansion and outbuildings on the southern exposure called Dungeness which they used to entertain barons of industry and politicians of the era. On Lucy’s passing the estate was essentially placed in mothballs, with occasional openings for major functions, finally succumbing to a fire in the 1950s, after which most of the island became a national park. The park has campgrounds (tent only), bike and hiking/nature trails, gorgeous beach and a variety of wildlife including wild horses. Campgrounds were well thought out, with elevated storage area for food, hooks for packs and nice fire pits.
As we hoped up Ga, one place we wanted to revisit was Walburn Creek, site of a gorgeous beach where Maggie had so much fun on the way down. As we transited the inlet we were met by scores of boats and people on said beach, so plan B was initiated. Essentially we decided to push up the ICW and try a new anchorage, Killikenny Creek. What a jewel! Very well protected, good holding and a very small, clean quaint village greeted us. It was also home to the Marker 107 restaurant, a culinary delight in the middle of nowhere. What a treat!
Next day we pushed on to Charleston, anchoring just across the Channel from the Mega Dock (City Marina). Our plan was to stay overnight, and then push on with a leisurely start because of a restricted bridge. Burry’s time estimate to make the 9 am opening was off so rather than park for an hour we decided to stay another day in Charleston. Didn’t do much tourism this visit, focused mostly on tidying up the boat and catching up on sleep. Part of the reason was a brisk wind which created a nasty, dingy uncomfortable chop in the anchorage. The Municipal Marina (aka Mega Dock) is a bit of a disappointment for cruisers since their focus tends to be on Mega Yachts and so us little guys are tolerated. For example, most marinas which have dingy docks include shower and laundry access, Charleston does not. Info from other cruisers indicate a small private marina on the North side of the city is much more cruiser friendly, and has the added advantage of being closer to the historical downtown core.
So, next morning we departed a bit earlier (Wendy says way too early) and made the 9 am opening and pressed on to Savannah, Ga. Here we stopped at Isle of Hope Marina and booked in for a week as Tara had decided to visit us for a week and was looking for a week of being spoiled. Before getting into the visit must mention Isle of Hope Marina. This family run business is outstanding in service. The marina is located right on the ICW, has great docks, good facilities and access to the community pool one block away. Add to this two loaner cars plus three blocks from City of Savannah bus and you have the ideal location for a Savannah visit, much better than tying up at Savannah proper.
Had a great visit with Tara. Used the loaner car and picked her up at the airport, back to the boat for a relaxing evening. First couple of days Wendy/Tara had some shopping therapy followed by touristing in Savannah while Burry worked on boat maintenance. This was followed by the three of us touring old town Savannah and sampling the amazing cuisine. During one of these days Maggie, aka Houdini, got off the boat and did some of her own touring in Isle of Hope. The marina staff got a hold of her and let us know she had escaped. On return to the marina we were met by the new marina greeter, our Maggie welcoming everyone who entered the marine store. We finished of the visit with a wonderful meal at a local seafood restaurant and the next day sent Tara on her way home to Kingston. Next morning we pushed off and continued our trip north, looking forward to link up with Paul/Carol at Topsail Beach, NC.
On the way north we stopped at Myrtle Beach, Georgetown and Carolina Beach, with the final day ending up at Sneed’s Ferry where we tied up to the bulk head for a few days while we visited Paul and Carol. Carol’s beach house is a gorgeous 2 bedroom home right on dunes at Topsail, looking over the ocean. Had a great visit with them, Wendy and Carol having lots of chat time while Paul and Burry hauled Odysseus. The three very short days zipped by incredibly fast; such a great visit with way too much food. We through off the lines and carried on north and what we thought would be a two day trip to Oriental turned out to be a one day jaunt.
Initially our thoughts were to make Oriental a three day stop, but we changed our mind. We decided to add a week and a bit so Wendy could fly out to her folks while Burry tackled some boat projects. Oriental is a great place to hold up and surprising is the number of people we know here. Jerry and Molly from Marathon live here and we had a wonderful dinner with them. Jeannette (seaflame) and Debbie who buddy boated with us across the stream are here and of course Paul and Carol have their boat here. Also ran into a couple from Texas (Ray and Beth) which we met in Isle of Hope who we shared some meals and wine with. Even had a camp fire with a bunch of the more permanent residents, a great evening.
Oriental is a neat place, quiet, out of the way and inexpensive. This week has been interesting though, with scattered T Storms coming through and reduced visibility from the numerous forest fires. During Wendy’s trip Burry managed to redo the galley sole, clean and remark the anchor rode, pickle the watermaker, build a sunshade for when we are motoring, repair the toe rail, and clean/paint the dingy. In removing the parquet flooring, Burry had all the pieces laid out but Maggie managed to shuffle them during a T Storm, so 3 hours of time was spent doing a jigsaw puzzle with little blocks of wood. Wendy back tonight (airlines willing) and the plan is to head to Norfolk on Saturday, should be there Mon/Tue afternoon.