December 11th- Vero Beach, FL

We’re still floating around in Vero Beach (Sunday). Our original departure plan (Thursday) seemed rushed so we decided to stay through the weekend. Lynne had an art museum to visit on Friday. Saturday’s plan was to attend an excellent local farmer’s market. We filled up with fresh bread, mahi, shrimp, ravioli, homemade dog treats, and produce. As far as produce is concerned we find that spinach keeps for a long time on board and add it to many meals.

A few days ago, while sipping sun downers on deck, another cruiser pointed us in the direction to witness a rocket launch. The captain from SV Lupo was passing by at around the same time and explained different aspects of the launch to us. It was the first time we’ve ever seen a Space X launch. The rocket arced right over Vero. The whole thing was exciting.

Space X rocket with a payload of satellites.

Second stage separation. The second stage flew back to the pad while the first stage continued its trip to orbit.

Today we had a good friend over to Evergreen for lunch. We don’t often have company aboard. I spent some time cleaning the decks and getting the stainless steel reasonably polished. I resisted the urge to touch up the varnish. A good time was had by all and it was a nice way to spend our last day in Vero. I even learned a little “fancy” knot work. Much additional practice is needed. Our guest retired from boating a few years ago and lives in Vero Beach. We always enjoy chatting as he has an encyclopedic knowledge of boats and rigging. Before leaving he gave us a gift for the ship- his handmade rigging bag, filled with his tools of the trade (most of which are also hand made). To say we were deeply affected by this gift would be an understatement. Thanks.

We really enjoy Vero and could have easily spent more time. We’ll be Back!

Some scenes from Vero Beach.

Ollie also loves Vero. Lots of play time!

December 12th- Vero Beach to Jensen Beach FL

A while back we decided we wanted to moor Evergreen in Stuart for the holidays. We’ve not been there and have heard good things. Unfortunately, they don’t take mooring reservations. We called the office at Sunset Bay marina today and (of course) they are full. I thought we’d just anchor but the person in the office said there is no room. We abandoned that plan for today and grabbed a mooring in Jensen Beach. We’re going to take it day by day until I come up with a new plan. A mooring might open up. We might just go up the Saint Lucy River and see if we can find a spot to drop the hook near Stuart. Manatee Pocket is another possibility. Maybe, back to Vero? Who knows? We have diesel, food, water, and sails. The possibilities are endless (I hope).

Evergreen moored at Jensen Beach on the Indian River.

December 2nd- Saint Augustine to Daytona Beach FL

Our last couple of days in St Augustine were characterized by a strong front moving through. We were devouring some Minorcan chowder and a shrimp po-boy sandwich when we noticed some really dark clouds on the horizon. We just made it back to Evergreen when the squall hit. We had winds gusting to 40mph and heavy rain for a brief period. Two boats dragged anchor and almost hit the Bridge of Lions. A very large catamaran came within 150 yards of the bridge before being boarded by a very heroic soul from another sailboat. He somehow managed to re-anchored the craft before disaster hit! Very exciting stuff.

Our final day in St Augustine was mostly spent aboard ship as wind and waves were too intense for shore leave.

Some scenes from St. Augustine.

Lunch at the St. Augustine Seafood Company.

Our mooring reservation ended on the 2nd so we moved further down the ICW to Daytona. The wind calmed and we were rewarded with some of that perfect Florida weather we sail south for. We had another exciting dolphin encounter during the passage. The dolphin raced along with us for a while and zig-zagged under the keel from port to starboard. At the end of this performance he/she leaped out of the water 5 to 6 times in quick succession. We were amazed. Clearly these are very intelligent animals that like to play and have fun.

We anchored near Bethune park. There is a convenient dock for Ollie’s evening commando raid. Hurricane Nicole did a lot of damage around here. Many boats are washed up in the mangroves others are just masts sticking out of the water.

Some scenes from Daytona.

Evergreen anchored on the Halifax River in Daytona Beach.

December 3rd- Daytona Beach to Titusville FL

Not much to report on. Perfect weather again. Crazy Ivan (our autopilot) did most of the steering, I just hit a button every now and then to adjust course. The autopilot is working well. The autopilot remote is absolute garbage and may wind up in the ocean someday. Titusville has around 10 boats washed up on shore or sunk. We both forgot to take pictures today (these things seem to happen down here).

December 4th- Titusville to Melbourne FL

We fueled up and filled the water tanks before leaving Titusville. Today was another day spent on the Indian River. The river is wide and mostly straight with almost no tidal current. We are able to roll out our genoa when there is enough of a breeze. Easy sailing for the pirates on SV Evergreen.

We had planned on anchoring at the town of Eau Gallie but the anchorage just didn’t feel right. We moved on to Melbourne. We’ve been to this anchorage before. It’s just a good, protected, spot on the side of a big bridge. The bridge has a park (common around here) which I bring Ollie to.

Sunset over Melbourne.

December 5th- Melbourne to Vero Beach FL

Another day basking in the sun on the Indian River. Lynne did some sewing repairs to our upholstery. I kept an eye on things and avoided hitting any navigational markers or pontoon boats.

The mangroves are getting thicker.

We weren’t sure what we were going to do once we got to Vero. I had some intel, from a friend, that the moorings were full. Vero Beach Municipal Marina has a rafting rule. Once the mooring field is full then multiple boats raft up on the same mooring. We were concerned that this might be a problem for us due to our hypervigilant Boarder Collie. Anchoring was a possibility but we decided to “go for it” and acquired a mooring assignment from the marina. We rafted up to SV Elan for a few days. Attaching Evergreen to Elan was a little complicated as the boat is empty. On the other hand it’s great to be here and Elan is empty so it’s like we are on our own private mooring anyway. No complaints from Ollie.

We are happy to be in “Velcro” Beach again. We spent so much time here on our last trip that it feels like a home away from home. Shore leave! We’re meeting up with our friend from SV Loon for breakfast. The frisbee will be deployed for Ollie. Beer and wine supplies are in the red so acquiring more is a priority. Perhaps a stop at Mr Manatees is warranted.

Some scenes from Vero Beach.

Evergreen rafted up in Vero Beach.

November 28th and 29th- Sisters Creek to Saint Augustine FL

More sun and warm weather. No complaints from this boat. I looked at the weather forecast for our home port (Dartmouth). Wednesday night is going to be 36 degrees, rain, and wind gusting to 50mph. Brrrrr.

We made good time on our trip from Jacksonville to St Augustine. We were able to roll out the genoa (sail) on the Tolomato river. Evergreen seems to fly (to us) with her 30hp diesel and big sail pushing her along. We passed several boats on our way to the port. Passing other boats, was unheard of during our last southern voyage.

We had lunch while racing along on the river. We were joined by a pod of dolphins. They swam along with us for almost half an hour. Seeing dolphins never “gets old” for us and I hope it never does.

Last week we managed to reserve a mooring for a few days. St Augustine is a fun city to spend some time in. We are “front row” to the Christmas light display the city puts on during the season. In the evening, many tour boats cruised around the waterfront. The whole scene was very festive.

Sunset was prelude to the rest of the show.

In the morning the captain rolled out of his bunk and got Ollie to shore for his AM commando raid. He particularly enjoys running around at the Castillo de San Marcos (big old fort). While here we’ll take care of a few boat chores and check out the shops in town. I hope to find a bowl of Minorcan conch chowder today.

Quiet morning scenes from Saint Augustine.

Evergreen moored off of Saint Augustine.

November 27th- Fernandina Beach to Sisters Creek/ Jacksonville FL

Today we went a little further down the Florida ICW to Sisters Creek. The boat “log jam” in Fernandina Beach has been breaking up and crews are moving further south. We were in company of a half dozen boats all heading to the same anchorage. Because of the wind direction and the heavy current in the creek, I had a feeling there might be problems. At almost the same time we anchored a storm hit. Several boats were right behind us and all were trying to anchor at roughly the same time. Anchoring Chaos again! Several boats had to re-position. One ran aground and needed to be towed off a shoal.

After the storm blew over, the clouds broke and the sun came out. Several boats moved on to better anchorages. The temperature climbed to 80F. We were finally able to open Evergreen up and dry everything out. Eventually the wind even calmed down and made for a nice evening.

Finally sun. Evergreen anchored on Sisters Creek/ Jacksonville FL.

November 25th- Jekyll Island, GA to Fernandina Beach, FL

One dominant feature for today’s trip; fog. New England fog. Pea soup fog. According to NOAH, “dense fog.” We hauled up our anchor from Jekyll Creek when there seemed to be a break in the fog but it was only momentary and soon thickened up again. Navigation through Saint Simon Sound was difficult. We could only see the navigational buoys when Evergreen was right on top of them. I ran the radar for a while but it only proved to be a distraction. I haven’t used it since we’ve bought the boat. The Captain needs to study the manual. Navigation through the sound was by GPS and compass course. There are a few tricky turns, currents, and shoals to deal with. We never saw Cumberland light or the island, for that matter, while in the sound. It was a couple hours into the voyage before we saw any land.

Not much to see this morning.

By noon we had better visibility.

Kings bay Submarine base.

We anchored near Fernandina Beach for the evening. There are many more boats here than our last trip. I lost track of all the mast lights lit up at night.

November 26th- Fernandina Beach FL

Today was another day in harbor. The weather is still damp and grey but warm. We went to a farmer’s market and secured some fresh bread. Hit the fish market for some red snapper. We also managed to find a slice of pumpkin pie for later. The downtown area has a lot of shops where we found a few other items and met with friends for lunch before hauling our booty back to Evergreen.

Some scenes from Fernandina Beach.

Replica of the Trinidad, Magellan’s flag ship.

Evergreen anchored on the Amelia River, Fernandina Beach FL

November 24th- Jekyll Island, GA

We decided to extend our stay on Jekyll Island. We are anchored in a good spot relative to the state park dock and Jekyll Island Marina. We contracted with the marina to use the dinghy dock and showers for a few days. The Island is very pedestrian friendly with paths going everywhere. Ollie has had some intense exercise at the parks and on the huge beach along the ocean side of the island.

The marina.

Main street/shopping area.

This worked surprisingly well for a few minutes. Turning is a problem.

For Thanksgiving we started off with eggs and bacon and then ventured over to the historic district of the island. The island was owned by the Jekyll Island Club and used as an exclusive resort for the rich and famous. Everything was closed due to the holiday but we enjoyed the afternoon.

Some Thanksgiving scenes from the Jekyll Island historic district.

Many fields to be conquered. A tired dog is a good dog.

They call them cottages.

Oldest live oak on Jekyll Island. Believed to be over 350 years old.

We had a few ideas for Thanksgiving but decided to eat at home. A turkey is a little too complicated for a boat stove. On the other hand, turkey burgers work well on Evergreen’s grill. We picked up the ground turkey from a butcher in Beaufort so they were particularly good. Potato salad, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and cranberry wine completed the ensemble. Pumpkin pie doesn’t seem to be popular around here so we procured some cheesecake for dessert. Happy Thanksgiving.

Evergreen anchored on Jekyll Creek.

November 20th- Turner Creek/ Savannah to Crescent River GA

Today was a mostly cold and grey day. Evergreen piled on the miles. I piled on many layers of clothing. Lynne made coffee, tea, chili, and espresso at various points during the day. Warm food, fluids, and caffeine, help to keep this mariner going.

We went through a very shallow spot at Hell Gate. If it wasn’t a problem area it would probably have a nicer name. The day’s highlight was motor sailing up Sapelo Sound at 9 knots. The big tides around here create a lot of current. I generally try to push Evergreen along as fast as she’ll go. For portions of the day the tidal current runs against us so I try to make up for it when wind and water are helping.

We anchored on the Crescent River for the evening. Our last trip we were the only boat. Tonight we are one of seven. The River is big so finding a spot wasn’t difficult.

Evergreen anchored on the Crescent River.

November 21st- Crescent River to Jekyll Island GA

We were again up with the sunrise and moving south once we got the heat and coffee going.

400,000 acres of Georgia Salt Marsh.

On this trip I’ve taken my coastal navigation up a notch or two. I’m still using the “Books of Bob” to plan. I’ve been able to download the Bob423 tracks to my Samsung tablets. Bob has used Army Corps of Engineers surveys to find deeper water where there seems to be none. He takes his boat south every year and publishes the track. While coasting along I use a Garmin GPS. I also have one pad running Aquamaps and another running Navionics Sonar chart. All three have slightly different chart information. We traversed the Little Mud River at close to high tide so had no problems there. On the other hand we went through Jekyll Creek at dead low tide (poor planning). Using Bob’s track I was able to keep Evergreen in mostly 5 feet of water. We only draw 3′ 9″ with our centerboard up.

We are going to stay in Jekyll Creek for a day or two. Ollie had a “malfunction” so we, once again, have some laundry to do. We enjoyed the Island on our last stop. There is a decent market in town. It is warmer. Hopefully we get some sun today. The low sun and grey clouds are not conducive to good pictures.

November 18th- Beaufort, SC

We decided to extend our stay and see more of Beaufort. The downtown area is further from the grocery/ resupply stores but we’ve been experimenting with Instacart (a delivery service). It’s worked well for us. We have most of the food staples delivered to the boat.

Our last day in Beaufort was spent having lunch and touring some of Beaufort’s historic sites with our cruising friends from SV SMAC.

This bar was closed at the time but I was intrigued. This was the only signage.

The nights are getting cold. The woodstove has been burning every evening. Time to get moving south. If the weather works out we’ll probably spend a couple days on Jekyll island.

Onward!

November 19th- Beaufort SC to Turner Creek/ Savannah GA

A chilly sunrise. We headed down the Beaufort River, passed the Paris Island Marine base, and pointed our bow toward Georgia. There are some very shallow spots on the Georgia ICW but seven foot tides help the passage.

Paris Island

Our day ended in Turners Creek. There is a convenient dock and boat ramp for Ollie’s commando raids. It’s technically in Savannah but we haven’t toured the city yet. Maybe next time.

The dock is under a highway.

Evergreen anchored on Turner Creek.

November 13th- Awendaw Creek to Steamboat Creek/ Edisto Island, SC

Today was a work day. Up at sunrise, Ollie to shore, dinghy on deck, anchor up, finally coffee! I planned the day with a few possible anchorages but Steamboat Creek was our preferred stop. We decided to pass Charleston. I like the city but not the anchorage. The day involved 2 bridges that I had to time. Charleston harbor was rough when we passed through.

Charleston Harbor

For part of the day the river currents were running against us. It was starting to look like we were going to arrive at our destination after sunset. The boat is low on rum and the crew doesn’t like to sail at night. MUTINY! Mutiny is to be avoided if possible. We eventually picked up a favorable current and made it to our anchorage on Steamboat Creek.We arrived around sunset. The shortness of the days, during the winter months, have an affect on navigation.

Some scenes from Steamboat Creek.

November 14th- Steamboat Creek to Beaufort, SC

Steamboat Creek is a good place to stage for the transit to Beaufort. There are a bunch of different rivers, canals, and bodies of water to traverse. We were looking forward to anchoring off of Lady’s Island Marina as we did on our last trip. We also spent some time at the marina. They have changed policy and no longer allow anchored boats to use the facilities. Very unfortunate for us. This seems to be more common than our last southern voyage. Many marinas allow anchored transient boats to use their facilities for a fee.

We spent a couple days anchored on Factory Creek near the state boat ramp. There is an excellent butcher, hardware store, and “packie”, within walking distance. I had some rigging work on the maintenance list.

Dredging.

Rigging work on Factory Creek.

November 16th- Beaufort SC

We decided to move over to the Marina at Downtown Beaufort. We stopped at the dock for diesel and water. Afterwards we tied on to one of their moorings.

Early in our trip some cruising friends strongly recommended getting a tomato pie from the Low Country Cafe. At the time, I didn’t find the idea of a tomato pie to be appetizing. Two months later and I have become Ahab hunting the white whale/ tomato pie. We found the cafe and baked the tomato pie. If I were to be shipwrecked on a deserted island I would spend the rest of my days happy, if all I had was tomato pie, and Sicilian wine. Fresh tomatoes, cheese, pie crust. The Beaufort tomato pie is indescribably delicious.

Some scenes from Beaufort SC

Evergreen moored off of Beaufort SC.

The Holy Grail.

November 12th- Georgetown to Awendaw Creek, SC

Georgetown was great! We really had a good time. We spent 10 nights in the downtown historic district. The food from the Indigo Market and Independent Seafood were a particular highlight. Prior to typing this installment we had shrimp gumbo over red rice and sausage.

Ollie and Ralphy had some hangout sessions. We saw an Asian inspired tiny house being built, went to a historic plantation, and participated in a Thanksgiving Trivia game at a really good tex/mex restaurant. Shopping, museums, socialising, eating, these are just some of the highlights of our Georgetown vacation.

Along with another cruising couple, we took a tour of the Hopsawee Plantation. The house was beautiful, slavery was not. The house is still a private residence and the family requests that no pictures are taken of the interior, so none were taken. I really enjoyed seeing all of the handmade historic furniture and woodwork in the house. The tour was very good.

Hopsawee Plantation

The left over weather from Hurricane Nicole cleared out so we decided it was time to move further south on our journey. We’ll be back, Georgetown !

I planned for a short day today as we had a few things to take care of in the morning. An important part of the morning schedule was acquiring the aforementioned shrimp and gumbo. Evergreen was ensconced in docklines and fenders so that was another project. We also had an exceptional cup of espresso with our sailing neighbors. Life is good. Next we made a very inelegant exit from our slip at the marina. It was very “Captain Ron”. We were one of the last boats to leave the marina so at least there was a lot of space to maneuver. It was the first time we’ve ever backed out of a marina slip!

After departing Georgetown we headed down Winyah Bay to the South Carolina low country. The winds were stronger than expected but the ICW was mostly flat. We anchored in Awendaw Creek and observed a colorful sunset. The grasslands provide a backdrop. There are several other boats anchored with us tonight. Most are headed south.