Nov. 12/13
Carl took the ladies and Maggie into Georgetown in the dinghy. Maggie was excited to get on shore, but well behaved as usual. After tying up at the dinghy dock, we walk around town. We missed Georgetown on our trip down last year. Unfortunately, their was a fire on the waterfront here a few years back after some extensive renovations. The burned buildings still remain unrepaired. Georgetown has just been decorated for Christmas. We all walk to the Kudzu bakery for breakfast, where we also stock up on bread,pastries and fresh rosemary! We enjoy our breakfast and coffee in a beautiful courtyard across from the bakery. Carl took Maggie for another walk while Becky, Judy and I got our shopping fix. We have extra time this morning. We are planning to head offshore this afternon and arrive in Hilton Head the following morning. I snap a few pictures of our boats at anchor on our way back. We have time for a few chores. Everyone runs their jack lines. Robert goes up their mast in a boson chair to replace a mast light. Judy goes up their mast too. Looks like she is enjoying the scenery. We left the anchorage at Georgetown at 12:30. We have about two hours to have lunch, email our float plan, finish putting the essentials in the ditch bag and getting the offshore life vests and tethers ready. By 2:00 p.m. we are heading out into the Atlantic. The sun is shining and the seas are calm. We see a few other boats not quite as far out as we are. We are about 7 1/2 miles offshore. We have an early light dinner and prepare for the night. After the sun goes down it gets a little chilly. Gets colder as the night goes on. The moon rises about 10:30 p.m. All and all an uneventful night. This is our first over night with just the two of us. Neither of us gets much sleep. We try 3 hours on, 3 off schedule, but we both stay awake, not wanting to leave the other alone. This will take some practice. It was a beautiful sunrise and I was glad to see it! Carl warmed sausage biscuits in the engine room. We came back in at Port Royal, S.C. We had headed to Skull Creek marina at Hilton Head. Arriving at the marina, the first stop is at the fuel dock. We move to our slip along with Nemo. We are all spread out this time. SeaQuell stays on the fuel dock because they don't have a slip wide enough available for her. With a 22 foot beam, she's a "fat bottom girl" as Becky says. We have the afternoon to rest up from our long night. After a nap I do some laundry and take my shower. This marina is under renovations. The bathrooms have been completed and they are "hotel" beautiful. I have on shorts and a tshirt for the afternoon. It is 77° , but a cold front is on the way. We enjoy chicken with mushrooms with the gang on SeaQuell. Curt, a friend of Becky and Robert's, joins us. We met him last year in Savannah. He is waiting for a repair on his heater and then will be moving south. He'll leave his trawler in Savannah, fly home for Thanksgiving, return and take the boat to Florida, fly home for Christmas, then return to go to the Bahamas for the winter, where is wife will join him.
We plan our next day. There is talk of an offshore passage again. Robert has a meeting tomorrow afternoon, so it is decided that we will stay inside and get to Savannah with some power for heat for the night.
Nov. 14
We are up and leaving Skull Creek by 7:30 a.m. Once again Dolphins are swimming around on both sides of the boats. We are back on the ICW where we are seeing more and more brown pelicans. We are definitely getting farther south. This is a short day. We are in Savannah by 10:30 a.m. The town dock is in the middle of the waterfront activity. After we are tied up and the shore power is on, we head off to explore. We find a hotdog stand for lunch. We head back and leave the men to their work. Judy is excited about seeing Savanah. We find a map and take a self guided tour of the historic district. All of the streets on the waterfront are cobblestone and brick. There are magnificent homes and row houses. The streets are all lined with live oaks dripping with spanish moss. There are beautiful churches, cathedrals, synagogues and "squares" with fountains, statues and beautiful plantings. There are camelias in bloom and even annuals, like impatients, are still lush. We must have walked about 4 miles and climbed numerous historical steps that were irregular and steep. My knees will feel this tomorrow. We return in time to discuss dinner plans. We decide on Molly MacPherson's Scottish pub, one of Robert's favorites. There are horse drawn carriages, bicycle taxi's and these really cute taxi's, where about 8-10 people sit facing each other at a bar, having a drink while everyone pedals. We walk the 8 or so blocks and it is getting cold. We enjoy the comfort food at Molly's. Shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, chicken pot pie and fish and chips. Robert tastes a flight of scotch before dinner and we have Irish coffee afterwards. I am exhausted when we return to the boat. I really should have trained better for this "cruise" .Up and down the ladder from the cockpit to the main salon, up and down, on and off the boat, cranking winches, pulling sheets and throwing lines. Just stabilizing yourself underway and even at the dock in rough conditions, really gives you a good core workout! The cruisers tell me that it takes time to adapt. The 'Savannah Queen' paddle wheel boat is docked in front of us. Despite her coming and going much of the night, not to mention the tugs moving huge ships in and out of port, I manage to sleep pretty well. I have gotten way behind on updating my blog. In addition to the usual challenges of finding internet service, I have been dealing with some balance issues since Elizabeth City. This has made it nearly impossible to read or write anything while on the boat. I'm getting better. Should be able to catch up now.