05/22/2008, Beaufor, NC 34.42.71N; 076.39.01W
File photo (from our 1st stay in Beaufort, Nov,2007)....
Made it back to Beaufort, NC for memorial Day weekend. I figure all those people with jobs will be out clogging up the waterways this weekend, so we should just hunker down in a 'no wake zone' for a few days.
We left Southport Wednesday morning and motored up to Wrightsville Beach, NC planningto spend the night before comming to Beaufort. It got so incredibly crowded around 1700, we decieded to kick out and do an overnighter to Beaufort (I wasn't going to get much sleep anyway, with those morons parked right on top of me). So, here we are, just a stones throw from the guys pilings we dragged to last year. I only have 2 anchors out in my version of a Bahamian Moore (which we never did in the Bahamas), so hopefully, we'll stay put.
Nice Memorial day weekend. Lots of motor-boaters putting up and down the creek. We spent one after noon in the Back Street Pub with some new friends. Just can't go into that place without something good happening.
It's Monday night and the wind has picked up to 20kts from the SE and is blowing us uncomfortably close to the pilings that we 'borrowed' last year...not to mention that our ass is now hanging out in the channel...the one the shimp boats use early in the morning. OK. So I'll be doing the 'goffer' thing tonight.
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| Beaufort-2008 |
05/14/2008, Myrtle Beach, SC
We heard that it was Bike Week in Myrtle Beach and just couldn't pass it up. We located a marina that could accomodate our width, parked the boat and pulled out our bikes! We did have to back track 35 miles to get here, since we did an overnighter and were anchored near Southport, NC. But it was well worth it. I must admit having been here for 4 days now, our bikes are just a wee bit under powered.
We're staying at a little place on the beach with flush toilets and everything. A nice little vacation from our vacation. Gizmo, the biker dude dog, has been trying to catch up on his sleep, now that the gound isn't rocking any more.
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| Charleston to Myrtle Beach |
05/05/2008, Charleston
Well, we left the Bahamas on May 1st for Fernandina Beach,Fl. I guess someone was sleeping at the helm and we flew right by Fernandina and ended up in Charleston on May 3rd. Gotta run right now, so I'll fill in a little more tonight.
It's tonight. The jacuzzi was calling my name (There are certain advantages to staying at a 'Resort & marina').
We left Great Sale Cay at 0800 on the 1st of may with winds E@10-15. There were about 12 boats that left before us with destinations ranging from Fl to NC. I had Gizmo ashore and couldn't leave until I got him to do #2. We approached the end of the banks around 1400 and the seas built up quite a bit - 8' with white caps. Doesn't sound like much, but when you go from 2' seas to 8' seas in a matter of 1 hour, it's noticeable. Once we got off the bank, the seas settled down to a bumpy 8' seas with white caps (yea, same number) for the next 30 or so hours. We only saw 1 ship until we were within 100 miles of Charleston, then we had 5 more (one was an aircraft carrier doing manuvers - they don't drive in a straight line like the freighters). It was a very good run, although very tireing. It takes a few days to get a rythm up. Gizmo wouldn't pee on the boat which caused more stress than anything else. The damn broke after 34 hours (makes me want to go just writing about it).
Comming into Charleston Harbour was a walk in the park. Comming into the marina was a little bit of a challenge. We had 15-17 kts of wind off the stern and 2.5 -3 kts of current pushing us forward (I was running 5 knts in neutral) and a very abrupt end at the end of the pier. I'm not sure how I did it, but I managed to stop the boat and even walk it sideways right up to the dock ( and I wasn't even drinking!).
This place isn't cheap, but we got a nice swimming pool & jacuzzi (they even supply towels) and a free shuttle over to Charleston.
Now for a brief update on our last month in the Bahamas...
I had this dream. It seemed real enough, but I'm sure it was just a dream. (plausable denyability) The immigration girl in Bimini gave us 90 days (April 12) until our visa expired. She said you can stop anywhere anytime to get an extention.
So, at Georgetown, we went in around the 1st and she said it was too early and we had to come back within 2 days before, but that it was Ok to come in a couple of weeks late. Well,I can only take so much nagging, so we left Georgetown around the 2nd and headded north.
We arrived in Marsh Harbour on the 21st and went in to see immigration on the 22nd. We were denied an extention because we were late. Time to work our way out...
....then I woke up.
Pics:
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| Offshore-Abacos to Charleston |
