June 13th- Weems Creek to Sassafras River MD

With engines functioning on both boats we hoisted the anchor to head back out on the bay. We were dodging Naval rowing crews on the river upon exiting Weems Creek.

Rowing on the Severn River.

Our evening anchorage was on the Sassafras River. We went several miles up the river to a marina for deisel fuel and water. After acquiring supplies we headed back down the river to anchor in a cove with Autumn Bourne. This was a better staging area for tomorrow’s journey across the C & D canal.

Some scenes from the Sassafras River.

Sunrise. Evergreen anchored on the Sassafras River.

June 14th- Sassafras River MD to Reedy Island DE

We made an early departure to catch some of a favorable current on the C & D canal. We didn’t see any big ships in the canal today. The day started off sunny but turned to rain. Reedy Island has a tricky entrance. We followed Autumn Bourne through the narrow entrance in the partially submerged wall that protects the harbor.

Evergreen anchored at Reedy Island with the Salem Nuclear Power Plant.

June 15th- Reedy Island DE to Cape May NJ

This was probably our best passage on the Delaware Bay. Usually there is some kind of problem involving wind and/or current. Not today. Sails were unfurled. The sun was shining. The bay currents were cooperating.

Some scenes from Delaware Bay.

Autumn Bourne sailing down the Delaware.

We motor sailed up the bay to the Cape May Canal. Our 52′ mast fits under the 2 bridges on the canal but it can get real close at high tide. It was two hours after low tide so no problem getting under the bridges. Normally we find a lot of room to anchor in Cape May but much of the anchorage was filled with dredge equipment. We found a spot between barges and giant pipes. We spent a couple of days in Cape May waiting for some stormy weather to clear out.

Some scenes from Cape May NJ.

June 9th- Solomons Island to Weems Creek/ West Annapolis MD

Our run up the bay to Annapolis almost went really well. While I don’t believe I completely solved our fuel issues the engine seemed to run well “almost” all day. While pushing toward the Severn River near Annapolis I started to notice more steam and less water coming from our exhaust. We have an overheat alarm but it wasn’t going off. The problem could be that we were close to overheating but hadn’t quite achieved the tipping point. We don’t have a temperature gauge so I can’t actually see the temperature rise. We slowed down and things got better.

Naval Academy

We met up again with Autumn Bourne and dropped the hook in Weems Creek for a few days. They have been here visiting friends.

This was our first time in Weems Creek. It’s in the neighborhood of West Annapolis. There is good dinghy access to shore. The tree lined banks are very scenic and protected.

June 10th through 12th- Weems Creek/ West Annapolis MD

We’ve explored some of the neighborhood. There is a bakery, cafe, and decent pizza all within walking distance. We also have a good grocery store and a Walgreens Pharmacy with an embedded liquor store. Odd to have pharmaceuticals and liquor all under one roof! I was told that West Annapolis was a very run down neighborhood at one time but it’s great now.

Most of my time here has been spent on solving engine problems. The overheating issue was tracked down and the culprit was a broken raw water impeller. Part of the impeller was blocking the flow of cooling water. Due to a water pressure problem a seal was blown on the raw water pump. Many engine things were pulled apart and cursed at. Lynne took an Uber to a Yanmar deisel parts supplier and acquired a sea water pump. Everything was put back together. At this point I again changed the primary fuel filter since it appears we still have junk in the deisel tank. This will probably be an ongoing issue until I can clean the tank.

We will be moving again on Tuesday and in a few days should be going up the NJ coast with Autumn Bourne. They have an extra crew member on board to help with the passage. We can only hope for calm seas, a southerly wind, and a functional deisel engine.

Some scenes from Weems Creek.

Evergreen anchored in West Annapolis.

June 1st- Coinjock to Great Bridge VA

We woke to another breezy, grey, day. Sporadic bursts of rain punctuated the day. At some point, on Currituck Sound, Evergreen’s deisel engine started to run rough again. We slowed down a bit and were able to continue on. Once out of the sound and back in the canals the water calmed down and we didn’t need to “push” the deisel engine as hard.

Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne waiting for a cantankerous bridge operator to open his bridge.

The bridge.

Calm waters.

We ended our day at a free dock by Great Bridge. We will coordinate our morning departure to go through the lock which is right after the dock. I spent my evening trying to trouble shoot our engine and spent much time on the phone trouble shooting with mechanically minded friends. Weather and engine problems are a drag on our spirits but we know the weather will improve and I’ll get this damn engine fixed soon.

Our fleet tied up at Great Bridge dock.

There is a Veteran’s Hall near the dock.

June 2nd- Great Bridge to Old Point Comfort/ Hampton VA

We locked through with around a dozen other boats. At some point in the day the sun made an appearance. Hopefully this is the beginning of a positive weather trend.

The Great Bridge Lock. We tied to the wall and rose up a few feet.

Norfolk Navy Base.

Regata on Hampton Roads.

We anchored Evergreen for the night at Old Point Comfort in Hampton Virginia. Since the sun was shining and it was early in the day we dinghied over to shore and spent the afternoon wandering around Fort Monroe.

Some scenes from Fort Monroe, Hampton VA.

Sunset.

June 3rd- Old Point Comfort to Taylor Creek/ Deltaville VA

Dense fog. We spent some time thinking about what to do as there are a lot of ships going in and out of Hampton Roads. We made the decision to move on. Autumn Bourne materialized out of the fog and we very cautiously entered Hampton Roads to exit into Chesapeake Bay. Both boats had radar running. Ours started acting up of course. At one point we could hear a big fog horn getting louder and louder. A ship emerged from the fog! The ship was in the channel and we were hugging the very edge so our paths weren’t close. It was still a little spooky.

Ollie and I returning to Evergreen after our morning commando raid.

Eventually we were out of the shipping channel and later in the morning the fog broke. The wind increased enough that we could motor sail to Deltaville and could run the engine at low RPMs. Our plan is to have the engine looked at in Deltaville.

June 4th- Taylor Creek/ Deltaville VA

High winds were forecast for today so all three boats stayed in harbor. This allowed us to go out for dinner twice at the Deltaville Tap & Raw Bar. There isn’t much to do in Deltaville but the restaurant is right at the marina and the food is good. I had an exceptional Ruben sandwich.

The Deltaville Boatyard was busy and hadn’t committed to a date for looking at Evergreen’s engine. We don’t want to sit here for long so Lynne called all of the other yards in the area. Broad Creek Marina and Boatworks can see us tomorrow. We are not in Broad Creek but we will be tomorrow!

Some scenes from Deltaville.

Autumn Bourne at anchor.

The Admiral getting creative with tall pines.

Evergreen anchored in Deltaville.

June 5th- Taylor Creek to Broad Creek/ Deltaville VA

Deltaville sits on a peninsula between the Piankatank and Rappahannock rivers. Today was only a short trip out Taylor Creek, down the Piankatank River, up the Rappahannock River, and up Broad Creek, to a dock, where Carl and Matt helped us tie up at Broad Creek Marina and Boatworks.

Carl thoroughly interrogated me with questions about our Yanmar deisel engine. He has repaired and installed many. He seems very knowledgeable. This is exactly what we were hoping for when searching for a mechanic. The engine was checked out. Samples of fuel were taken from our tank and filters. Our newly installed fuel filter already had a lot of junk in it. The samples from the deisel tank also held a lot of debris. It looks like we bought bad fuel somewhere. Plan A was to have a fuel polishing service filter the fuel and clean the tank. They could schedule us in 4 weeks. I want to be home in 4 weeks! Plan B.

Plan B was to borrow fuel cans from Carl. Drain all the deisel from the tank with a suction pump. They have a heater that burns waste oil so I gave him the deisel. He then loaned me his pickup truck so I could drive up to the Exxon station for more fuel. We filtered this and other deisel we had stored on deck. New fuel filters and new deisel. Hopefully all of this works. They allowed us to stay on the dock for the night and use the shower facilities. I needed the shower after fooling around with deisel fuel all day.

Some scenes from Broad Creek/ Deltaville.

Evergreen tied to the dock at Broad Creek Marina.

June 6th through 8th- Deltaville VA to Solomons Island MD

The trip to Solomons was our engine test. It ran well. Perhaps it wasn’t a thorough test since we sailed most of the day. The sailing was great! The best since the Bahamas. Eventually I had to reef the mains’l as Evergreen charged ahead at flank speed

Our flotilla had split up the day before. Both companion boats had gone on to Solomons but have since moved on. Rhiannon is on their way up to Baltimore. They will store their boat at a marina and drive the rest of the way to New Hampshire. Autumn Bourne is visiting with friends in Annapolis. We hope to join up with them again in a few days.

We finished our day at Solomons Island and tied to a mooring at Zahnisers Marina. We’re here for a couple of days to stock up and prepare for the next part of the trip. Zahnisers has good showers, laundry, pool, shuttle service, and we are able to use them as a mailing address. I have a half dozen fuel filters being shipped along with other essential items. Their parts department also provided me with on engine filters.

Yesterday (the 7th) we shuttled Ollie over to a veterinarian. He has a wound on his nose that just won’t heal properly. Afterwards we went over to Captain Smith’s Seafood for shrimp, red snapper, and some of the best crab cakes we’ve had . We rounded out our day with a raid on the liquor store before bringing our haul back to Evergreen. Today’s projects are groceries (Lynne), and getting deisel fuel (Brian). I’d also like to clean the hull as there appears to be seaweed growing up the side.

It has started to rain again so maybe hull cleaning will have to wait. I hope the rain clears out some of the smoke from the Canadian wild fires. Better yet, I hope they get rain. We move from here on Friday for points north on the Chesapeake Bay.

Some scenes from Solomons Island MD.

Today’s weather = Canadian smoke haze.

Travel Lift (for hauling boats) tire.

Evergreen moored on Back Creek at Solomons Island.

May 28th- Broad Creek to Belhaven NC

The rain stopped and the wind calmed down by late morning so we pressed on to Belhaven. The water was still a little choppy but manageable. We were actually able to sail for a while up the Pungo River and made good time.

This stop in Belhaven was to be brief due to a short weather window to get past the Alligator River and Albemarle Sound.

May 29th Memorial Day- Belhaven to South Lake NC

Since the next couple of days have us traveling through a remote area we were up at dawn to prepare Evergreen. We ferried water and diesel fuel out to Evergreen from Belhaven Marina. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne waited patiently for us to get our morning chores done before all three boats set out on the Pungo River.

We’ve been having a small engine issue since the Neuse River and it picked today to get worse. Before reaching the Alligator/ Pungo Canal the engine RPMs dropped and the engine almost rattled down to the stalling point twice. This had me quite rattled! We were in communication with the rest of the flotilla and I needed to make a decision to continue on (into the wilderness) or return to Belhaven. I found that by reducing Evergreen’s speed I could keep the engine going. It was still running rough but maybe we could make it. We’d miss this weather window if I turned back. Decision= ONWARD!

The canal and the Alligator River were both pretty calm today but I still had to nurse the engine along. We arrived at our anchorage in South Lake late in the day. I wanted to work on the engine but was just too exhausted to accomplish anything. South Lake is very remote but Rhiannon accompanied us into the anchorage should we need help. All three boats have had some kind of engine issues during this trip.

May 30th- South Lake to Coinjock NC

After Ollie’s morning commando raid we exited South Lake to transit the Albemarle Sound. We joined up again with Autumn Bourne before crossing. The winds were forecast to increase through the day but an early departure beat most of it. Our engine problems persisted through the trip. Eventually we were fighting a head wind in the rivers and canals. It was tiring to pilot Evergreen through adverse weather conditions and engine issues.

Eventually our trio and about 15 other boats showed up (at the same time!) to Coinjock Marina and Restaurant. Dockage was by reservation only as it was a full house. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne were assigned to the dock near the restaurant. The Coinjock Restaurant is famous for its prime rib. We were assigned to the dock across the canal from the restaurant which has no access to the the aforementioned restaurant. We affectionately call our dock, “The penalty box.” Our cruising friends send us pictures of prime rib. We have clean showers and there is a nice field for Ollie exercise 10′ from Evergreen.

Our time in “The penalty box ” has allowed me to focus on our deisel engine. Fuel filters were changed along with the oil. We think the fuel filter was the cause of our problems. Tomorrow will be the test. We hope our engine issues are solved.

Some scenes from Coinjock.

SV Rhiannon rafted to SV Autumn Bourne

Oliver with some artillery.

Evergreen tied to the dock at Coinjock Marina and Restaurant.

May 24th- Mile Hammock Bay to Cedar Creek NC

The flotilla set off today for points north. SV Rhiannon was able to order a new alternator and had scheduled a mechanic to install it in Beaufort NC. We pushed on further, with Autumn Bourne, to an anchorage in Cedar Creek. We have some heavy winds approaching and all skippers were trying to figure out where we were going to “hole up” until after the gale.

Shipping around Morehead City NC.

May 25th- Cedar Creek to Broad Creek NC

Cedar Creek might have worked out as a storm anchorage but we decided that Broad Creek would be much better if things get bad. Today was supposed to be the best travel day until Sunday. Another plus- Broad Creek is only 13 1/2 nautical miles away. No problem!

We departed from Cedar Creek, continued down Adams Creek, and headed out on the Neuse River. This is where the plan met reality. Autumn Bourne radioed back to us with the option to continue north on the river or turn back. We opted to continue on. At this point the water was rough but we sail in Buzzards Bay and have experienced worse. It got worse. The closer we got to our destination, the worse it got. The wind increased. We were motoring straight into the wind and choppy seas. The issue was the short, steep, waves. Evergreen would come off the top of a big wave and bury her bow in the next wave. We’d go from 4 knots to 1 knot instantly. Then the wind would catch the boat and turn us abeam. I had to shut down the autopilot and hand steer. I would come off a wave and spin the wheel to take the next wave on the forward quarter, then quickly spin the wheel the other way to stay on course. It had occurred to us to “just turn around”. We’d fly back to our previous anchorage with the wind and waves behind us. Only a few more miles to go! No turning back! We pressed onward.

Rough seas starting out.

Eventually two tired and wet sailboats turned up the much calmer waters of Broad Creek. We searched around the Creek and found a quiet spot near some cleared woods so I could get Ollie to shore. We dropped the hook. This will be our storm anchorage.

Sunset (sort of) at Broad Creek.

May 26th- Broad Creek NC

There is a Gale warning for the area. Sustained winds in the 20s to 30s with gusts to 40. So far it’s pretty calm here on the river. The tall pines on the banks block the worst of it. We have run out over 100′ of anchor rode. We have a second anchor ready to drop if needed. Every once in a while we hear a gust of wind whistling in the rigging but the water here is mostly flat. It looks like we will be sitting here until at least Sunday (28th).

Evergreen anchored on Broad Creek.

May 20th- Southport to Carolina Beach NC

The day before leaving Southport we had some discussions about the river currents, when to leave, and how to safely get off the dock. We were parked way down on the inside of a face dock and would have to wait for the correct tide to leave. That really didn’t work with our travel plan. Autumn Bourne came up with a plan to flip our boat, at the dock, so we were pointed in the right direction to escape the next morning. With help from the marina staff and the river current we pointed Evergreen in the right direction for an early morning departure.

We left Southport and caught the flood tide up the Cape Fear river. Shortly after we arrived at our destination, Carolina Beach (CB). We could have pushed on further but we enjoy visiting CB and planned on staying an extra day. Autumn Bourne was also going to linger for an extra day at Wrightsville Beach which is near by.

We made multiple visits to the North End Cafe for coffee, egg sandwiches, and other goodies. Of course we couldn’t leave without a stop at Blackburn Brothers Seafood. We had some delicious Halibut for dinner that night.

Evergreen moored in Carolina Beach.

May 22- Carolina Beach to Mile Hammock Bay/ Camp Lejeune NC

Today turned out to be a complicated day. We had multiple possible destinations for the day. We then received a message that SV Rhiannon was having an electrical problem and had lost all power in their boat. They had traveled a day ahead of us and were in Mile Hammock Bay which is part of the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base. Autumn Bourne has a generator and would be able to provide power when they got there. We decided to also go for support. The only problem with the plan was the base doesn’t allow civilians to land and we need to get Ollie to shore. The captain of Autumn Bourne ( a Vietnam War veteran) informed me that the Marines are not going to care about an American with a dog landing at their base regardless of regulations. With that encouragement we anchored at Mile Hammock Bay.

May 23- Mile Hammock Bay/ Camp Lejeune NC

An extra day at the Marine Base. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne are rafted up and Rhiannon is charged up. They need parts and need to wait for a day before transiting to Beaufort NC for repairs. We’re also here for an extra day. It’s looking like our northward progress is going to be stopped by weather anyway so waiting here an extra day isn’t a problem. In the morning we got to watch some amphibious assault training. We were informed earlier that the troops would be firing blanks. This was a great relief when machine gun fire erupted during the assault. The whole thing was exciting and very interesting to watch. Ollie has been to shore. Not during assault training!

Giant boat ramp for Marine training.

Rhiannon with Autumn Bourne providing electrical assistance.

Evergreen is currently docked at Southport NC. We are waiting out some bad weather and getting some needed rest.

May 11th and 12th- Isle of Hope/ Savannah GA to Beaufort SC

After leaving Savannah we traveled further north along the ICW to Beaufort. Port Royal Sound was a little rough when we crossed. We then headed up the river, passed Paris Island, and grabbed a mooring at the downtown Beaufort marina.

Our flotilla decided to spend an extra day in Beaufort. We did some shopping during the day and met up for dinner at Luther’s. Tomato pie, Nocellara olive oil, and Gumbo Sauce, were some of the culinary treasures we acquired in town.

Brought Ollie to town for a walk just before departure. All is quiet at dawn.

Evergreen moored at Beaufort, South Carolina

May 13th- Beaufort SC to Steamboat Creek/ Edisto Island SC

Today was a mixture of rivers, creeks, and canals. Our trio of boats split for the night. We decided to anchor on Steamboat Creek due to the convienient access to a boat ramp and dock. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne pushed on a little further to another anchorage. We were the only boat anchored on Steamboat for the night.

Steamboat Ollie. The little white dot in the background is Evergreen.

May 14th- Steamboat Creek to Awendaw Creek SC

We were up before sunrise and off the anchor by 6:30 am. Ollie’s morning commando raid was in the dark. Our plan was to catch up with the flotilla who were another 10 miles up the ICW. We all needed to time our passage through Watts Cut, near Charleston, with slack tide. It was a long, busy, day for us. We caught up with them around 8:30am after fighting current all morning.

May 15th- Awendaw Creek to Thoroughfare Creek SC

We had a peaceful night at Awendaw Creek. The morning brought some wind and current issues. Getting the dinghy on deck and pulling the anchor was a workout. We passed the shallows around McClellanville. As usual, there was a boat stuck there. Next on to Winyah Bay. Georgetown is the usual stop for us but we decided to press on with a favorable current up the Waccamaw River.

We ended the day and anchored on Thorofare Creek. We hadn’t been there before but Autumn Bourne had stopped there and assured us it was a good spot to let Ollie get some exercise. It’s in the jungle off the Waccamaw River but the Creek has a large sand dune left over from an earlier age when this was ocean front property. The anchorage was deep and it is very scenic. We’ll stop here again.

The dune.

Happy Oliver.

Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne

Evergreen

Evergreen anchored on Thorofare Creek.

Sunset.

May 16th- Thorofare Creek SC to Bird Island NC

We were underway by 7:45 and back on the Waccamaw soon after. Ollie enjoyed his shore leave. The “Dune” is actually a park with trails to explore.

Sunrise.

Once out of the Waccamaw we were back in the big ditch. Most of the rest of the day was through a long, straight canal with varying levels of boat traffic. Rhiannon split off in Myrtle Beach to visit with family for a few days. We agreed we’d meet up in the near future. Evergreen and Autumn Bourne continued on.

We crossed into North Carolina. Autumn Bourne picked our anchorage for the night at Bird Island. It is a protected spot and the Island is a barrier beach. The only reason we haven’t stopped here before is because we know of at least two other boats that have grounded out going to the anchorage. Autumn Bourne knew the route in and we followed closely behind. The trick is lining up the G7 green marker off the stern and the big white water tower off the bow. Stay on the line, and you are in.

Some scenes from Bird Island. Ollie cleared all birds.

Autumn Bourne anchored.

Evergreen in the background.

May 17th- Bird Island to Southport NC

There is a lot of current running around Bird Island due to the five foot tides. We timed our departure with slack tide to make anchor retrieval easier.

Autumn Bourne had plans to dock in Southport for a day to visit with friends. Since we needed a rest, Evergreen decided to also get a dock. While in transit we learned the weather wasn’t going to be good for a couple of days. All boats extended our marina stays until Saturday to wait for the weather to clear out.

We ended the day at South Harbor Village Marina. The actual docking went well and the dock hands were very helpful.

May 18th- Southport NC

Today, we slept late and had eggs and bacon for breakfast. There is a park right up the road and Ollie has gotten some ball and frisbee exercise when it’s not raining. Eventually, I motivated myself to get Evergreen filled up with diesel fuel. Lynne’s getting a load of laundry done. The rain has mostly kept us around Evergreen. It’s been a relaxing day. Oh yeah, I was able to get caught up on this blog. Tonight we plan on eating at Joe’s Italian Bistro which is right near the dock.

Evergreen docked at Southport NC.

May 8th- Cumberland Island to Crescent River GA

The extra day we spent in Cumberland Island was very relaxing. We set off early for the Crescent River. Generally we have also stopped at Jekyll Island for a day or two. We decided to press on and anchor further north on the ICW. We also had plans on spending an extra day in Savannah.

Sunrise commute at Cumberland Island.

Kings Bay submarine base. A sub!

Our 3 boat flotilla.

We anchored Evergreen on the Crescent River out in the Georgia marsh. There is a little spot of beach to land Ollie at. The 8 foot tides make for a lot of current running in these rivers and sounds.

Evergreen anchored on the Crescent River.

May 9th- Crescent River to Isle of Hope/ Savannah GA

Georgia has some very shallow spots on the ICW. Yesterday we traversed The Little Mud River. Today, Hell gate. We were close to low tide through the Little Mud. It was nerve wracking.

We made reservations for the Isle of Hope Marina in the Savannah area. We’ve anchored around Savannah in the past but haven’t ventured into town. Rhiannon coerced us into docking and seeing some of the sites.

The marina is well run and is in a really nice neighborhood. Old houses, Live Oaks, water views, and boats made for a scenic backdrop for Ollie’s frequent walks. We try to give him some extra exercise when it’s convenient.

The first night we had dinner at The Sandfly Barbecue with Rhiannon. I’m not an expert on BBQ food but this was the best I’ve had. I will never forget the Brunswick Stew! Lynne and I also shared a plate of pulled pork, sausage, and brisket.

Isle of Hope.

May 10th- Isle of Hope/ Savannah GA

The day started off with boat chores. Lynne went on a quest for groceries. I cleaned Evergreen. It has been a long time since since the last big cleaning. One of the advantages of being on a dock is seemingly unlimited water.

The second half of the day we went to downtown Savannah to celebrate a birthday with Rhiannon. The downtown has many restaurants in a revitalized industrial area. I found the old buildings interesting.

We had another great meal. Both Lynne and I had crab stuffed flounder and shared fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese for an appetizer. A lot of good food around this city. We’ll be back!

Here is rundown of the last week. Evergreen is in travel mode.

May 1st- Vero Beach to Melbourne FL

Our last few days in Vero were characterized by unpredictable, stormy, weather blowing through. We’d have some sun then ominous black clouds on the horizon. We decided to stay in VB until this weather passed.

One day I woke to a weather warning on my phone. Sometimes the National Weather Service has one or two alerts posted. Today six.

Sunday was very windy then Monday the weather broke and we pointed north toward Melbourne. We had previously loaded up Evergreen with all the necessities to minimize our stops along the way.

Currently we are traveling with a small flotilla consisting of SV Rhiannon, SV Autumn Bourne, and us. We’ve been doing some rough planning together and generally have been staying within visual range of one another.

Evergreen anchored in Melbourne.

Melbourne Bridge at Sunrise.

May 2nd- Melbourne to Titusville FL

Tuesday we motored along to Titusville. Occasionally, we get some sail up but with the wind out of the northwest the diesel engine is doing most of the work. We took a mooring at the Titusville Marina to get Ollie to shore and grab a shower.

Evergreen moored at Titusville.

May 3rd- Titusville to Daytona FL

Wednesday. Up before sunrise. Ollie to shore. Dinghy hoisted on the fore deck. Engine on. Off the mooring by 7:30am. Coffee in hand.

The flotilla moved further north toward Daytona. We were able to sail for a bit in the morning but again the northwest wind was on the nose heading up Mosquito Bay. During that section of the passage we had some engine issues. Our RPMs were jumping up and down with the engine almost stalling. Autumn Bourne was behind us and stood by while I stared, angrily, at the engine. Eventually it started running normally. We are not sure if some air got in a fuel line or maybe the fuel filter is getting clogged. It ran well for the rest of the day. I’ll probably change the fuel filter when we are stopped for a while.

We ended the day in Daytona at the Bethune park anchorage. The park is big and Oliver got a lot of, off leash, exercise.

May 4th- Daytona Beach to St Augustine FL

Thursday. Up before sunrise, etc, etc…..

We are developing a travel routine. Normally we stop for a few days in St Augustine but we need to push north. The flotilla has agreed to keep moving along until Georgia.

We passed through the Bridge of Lions and anchored near the Vilano bridge. This anchorage was somewhat challenging due to current and giant wakes from passing motor boats. The boats would fly through the anchorage at full throttle to reach the near by boat ramp. On a positive note, dinner was grilled tuna steaks, fresh rolls (Thai) with peanut sauce, rice pilaf, and a bottle of Pino Grigio. We eat well!

May 5th- St Augustine to Sisters Creek/ Jacksonville FL

Friday. More motoring into the steady north wind. Will it ever come out of the south?

Today was mostly long, straight, canals. We ended the day at Sisters Creek and anchored for the night. It’s technically part of Jacksonville but is not near any populated area.

May 6th- Sisters Creek FL to Cumberland Island GA

Saturday. Today brought cloudy skies and rain. The captains of the flotilla had a discussion about what to do today. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne both have full cockpit enclosures. Cockpit enclosures keep the helmsman out of inclement weather. Evergreen doesn’t have one. There was some concern about me being out in lousy weather all day. I assured everyone that I have decent foul weather gear and I’d be OK. We could push on. We also came to the conclusion that Evergreen needed more diesel fuel and water. During the day we’d stop at the Fernandina Beach fuel dock before pushing on to Georgia. Onward!

Somewhere on the Nassau River Rhiannon stopped and anchored. We found out their boat had lost all electrical charging under way and the batteries were almost dead. Big problem! Autumn Bourne and Evergreen stood by to see if this could be resolved. The captain was able to raise an electrician in Vero Beach. The electrician had previously done work on the boat and was familiar with the wiring. He was able to talk them through the problem and find the fault. We were all soon underway again. Next stop, Fernandina Beach. We loaded Evergreen up with fuel and water. Underway again, we crossed from Florida into Georgia and anchored at Cumberland Island.

May 7th- Cumberland Island GA

Sunday. A day off.

Cumberland Island is a national park. We all figured it would be a peaceful place to rest for a day. We enjoyed the Island on our 2019-2020 odyssey. Time for shore leave. Horses, Dungeness ruins, forest, and beaches were all on the agenda. After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and blueberry apple pancakes we dinghied in to the Island.

We spent a few hours wandering around the island. Ollie enjoys the extra exercise and is sleeping as I write this. We’ll be getting some extra sleep tonight also. Then, it’s up at dawn…. travel day.

Evergreen anchored at Cumberland Island.

Sunset.

April 27th- Vero Beach, FL

Of course we planned on being in Vero Beach for a few days. Then the Velcro effect took over. At first we were waiting for our mail to catch up with us. Then it was a problem with my credit card that needed to be solved. Now it’s some “funny” weather. As always, we’ve enjoyed our time here, we just can’t leave.

Everything is in full bloom in VB.

Ollie really enjoys his visits to Vero. We’re pretty sure he recognizes the place when we arrive.

We have been splitting the cost of a rental car with SV Rhiannon so it’s been easy to provision Evergreen. We had family visit and went out for a great meal. We have also been touring some of the local eateries with Rhiannon. Calzones, Ruben sandwiches, burgers, fish, dinners onboard, our waistlines are growing! One day we came back to Evergreen to find SV SMAC tied up with us. We had a great reunion and they invited us over for dinner and to share stories from the sea.

The Storm.

There is a saying that sailors have short memories pertaining to the weather. Mostly the weather is good but every once in while it is scary. We have been in a few storms. The squall we had yesterday (April 26th) topped them all. It is difficult to describe the fury of this particular storm. We were on shore when I first noticed it approaching. We quickly dinghyed back to Evergreen. We weren’t really thinking about storm intensity at the time, we just didn’t want to get soaked on the way back to the boat. I didn’t do anything extra to prepare the boat because we didn’t know what was about to hit us. When the storm hit the lightning was constant. The wind intensified and continued to do so rapidly. The boat swung in a circle and continued to buck back and forth through large arcs. The rain was so intense that I’d call it a “white out”. I couldn’t see anything. I also couldn’t hear anything due to the roaring of the wind. I turned the motor on to try to relieve some of the stress on the mooring but couldn’t hear the engine nor could I actually see the mooring. I gave up on that idea since it seemed I’d likely do more harm than good with the engine in gear. Eventually we had some of the heaviest hail I’ve ever been in. I thought it was going to pound through the dodger or the awning we had up.

I don’t know how long it lasted but eventually it passed. The hail melted. I bailed about 6″ of water from the dinghy. Several boats had shredded sails. A few boats had their dinghies flipped over, damaging the outboard motors. Evergreen sustained no damage.

The wind speed indicator at the marina topped out at 75mph. A near by restaurant recorded 100mph. I was told there was evidence of “cyclonic activity”. Who knows what happened? It was a very local event. There were some trees knocked down and tons of leaves everywhere. A few miles away there was only light rain.

Hopefully I forget all this in a day or two.

Let me outa here!

Evergreen moored in Vero Beach on a sunny day.