May 10 Let’s complete it!

We were up early, a fine morning to complete the trip.  Although we were ready at 6:30 am, we waited an hour for slack tide and then we pulled out, making sure we were heading out in front of the errant barge.  It was crystal clear and about 75 degrees at 10:30 am when we pulled into Bennetts Point.  Our friend and neighbor, Charlie, helped with the dock lines.  We made it!!   We left this dock on April 1, 2009.   We got to Washington DC on April 18, 2009 where we lived on the boat until June 5, 2011.  We then got underway and stayed on the great loop trip until May 10, 2012.  The first pic shows us rounding the final bend with Bennetts Point in sight.  The next 2 pics shows us celebrating with champaigne and our Gold Loop burgee.  The last pic shows BlueSkies at the dock.

May 9 A stop near our cruising grounds

We were underway very early, since the thunderstorm system was supposed to kick up around 10 am.  The morning was stunningly beautiful over the Savannah River, as the sun rose above the horizon, it reminded us about why we took this trip.  We arrived in Beaufort, SC by noon and we could have gone on to Bennetts Point –but we wanted Beaufort to be part of our great loop trip.  A good lunch and then we sat on the aft deck for a quiet afternoon and evening –our last evening on the great loop trip.  But it was not quiet!  At 4 pm, the ripping thunderstorms started through area.  And then, during the storms, a barge starts to dock right behind me in the marina!  The captain was having problems controlling the barge due to the hefty tidal currents and the gusty thunderstorm winds.  With his bow pointed toward us, his stern got slung to the other side of the dock and smashed the boat just across from us.  He got off that boat and started toward us.  Oh no, our last night on the trip and we are going to be pulverized by an errant barge!  We waved him off us and as he just passed us, he bashed into the dock in front of us, turned around and docked up.   Whew.   It took awhile to settle us down from that experience and just when we thought all was calm, here comes a cruise ship docking near us!  Luckily, it came to a safe landing area.  The first pic is BlueSkies at the Beaufort Marina, the 2^nd pic is the cruise ship, and then finally, a pic of the errant barge.

May 8 What goes around comes around

We wanted to make it to northern Georgia before the afternoon storms hit.  So, off we went early in the morning.  We made it to Savannah near noon and tried to get a slip at Thunderboldt marina.  But they were full.  So, we ended up at Bahia Bleu, and this is where we bought BlueSkies (1st pic), three years ago. That means, we really technically finished the loop trip today!  Here are Christine and I at Tubby’s (2nd pic) where we sealed the deal over 3 years ago to purchase BlueSkies.

May 7 The Sunbury Crab Company

It was touch and go today about leaving due to the weather.  The next 4 days were forecasted to be stormy.  But we launched, heading for the central coast of Georgia.  It is remote in this section of the ICW.   The only places known to loopers were in the MacKay river called the Sunbury Crab Company.  We pulled up to their docks around 4:30 pm after a long day on the water.  Elaine, the owner, greeted us and helped tie up to the docks.  We heard the food was good in the restaurant, but unfortunately, the restaurant was closed on Monday and Tuesday.   That did not stop Elaine from asking us if we liked steamed crabs, shrimp, corn, etc.   I said “of course”.  And then, she asked us to give her 30 minutes.  The first pic shows Elaine delivering steamed crabs, shrimp, etc right to our boat.  The last pic shows the dock spaces as we were leaving out.   It was an incredible showing of human kindness.

May 6 Making way on the ICW in Georgia.

It was time to make way through Georgia.  The ICW through Georgia winds around many river bends. Many of the rivers are very shallow at low tides.  The first pic show one of many boats we saw that were washed ashore.  We arrived at St. Simons in the early afternoon.  We tried to fix a leak in the anchor locker for several hours, but we could not find the leak.   The late afternoon found us watching other boats and people on the dock.  The next pic shows Alan Jackson’s boat near ours.  The final pic shows the girls on the dock trying to board the 150 foot yacht behind us.   Although they were clad in skimpy bikinis, they never made it onto the boat.   I invited them onboard BlueSkies, but Christine nixed that idea. 

May 4-5 Finally leaving Florida

We left on a Friday, which was generally against our rule of not boating during weekends.  Our intended destination was Fernandina Beach, but of course, there was not room at the inn – no marina space, no mooring balls, and no room in the anchorages.  It was the annual shrimp festival.  So instead, we made way to St. Mary’s, Georgia.   Along the way, we passed 2 trawlers hard aground in Sisters Creek (first pic), and 3 sailboats and a barge aground in the Amelia river(next pic).  Later, we found out that it was supermoon Saturday (next pic), when the moon is closest to the earth and causes extreme high and low tides.   But we spent that Saturday on Cumberland Island, where the Carnegie’s had acquired the island in the late 1800’s.   The next pic shows a ranger walking up the majestic tree lined roads of the island.  Wild horses roam the national park (next pic).   Since this island is a national park, and it is only accessible by boat, the number of people visiting that park is limited.  The final pic is one of the beach, with just a few people on it.  Compare it with the one of Cocoa Beach that was taken on a Saturday, just one week ago!!

May 2-3 The oldest oldest oldest city

See the first picture for our next stop in Florida.  Of course we had to visit a fort (2^nd pic).  But this fort was built to protect all riches on the Spanish galleons from pirates as they made way in the gulfstream current back to Spain.  It was Ponce de Leon that discovered that the gulfstream current could sweep a ship up the coast and put one on track for a quicker trip to Spain.  We visited the famous Ponce de Leon hotel (next pic), that was built by Henry Flagler (it now houses the Flagler coed college).  No costs were spared, including the stained glass ceiling by Tiffany (next pic).The next pic is taken from the upstairs ballroom of the adjacent Alcazar Hotel (now the Lightner museum) that overlooks what was once the largest indoor pool in the world.  Women’s swimming championships were held here in the 1920’s.   Finally, there is a picture of our waiter at the Columbia Restaurant, which is supposed to be the best Cuban restaurant in the states.  And, we believe it.   We had mussels in some kind of Cuban sauce and Cuban flatbread.  Inexpensive and very, very good.  We even bought their cookbook, so that, when you come to visit, we will cook it for you!!!