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.

November 6th- Georgetown, SC

“No plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the main enemy forces.” Helmuth von Moltke

A statement that can apply to many situations. Perhaps replace “the main enemy forces” with “Georgetown” or “reality.”

We’re still in Georgetown. The original plan was to stop here, do some laundry, get some shrimp, then get going down the ICW in a couple of days. The weather is warm (actually hot), the marina is really nice, Georgetown is one of our favorite towns on the ICW. The Harbor Walk Marina is right in the middle of the historic district. Plans change.

Also influencing our desicion- a tropical weather system developing over the Bahamas. We don’t expect to get the storm but high winds are predicted for a few days.

Evergreen remains at the dock and will likely be there for most of next week. Shore leave!

Lynne and I (with Ollie) have been touring the half dozen or so museums within walking distance.

Admiral’s pictures and notes.
Kaminski house.

Traditional Charleston style garden.

Vessel dated 1730 found at Brown’s Ferry and restored/ preserved by USC Columbia. Thought to have been transporting a load of bricks when it sank.

We spend our days wandering around and seeing the sites. Today’s big event was stopping at the ice cream parlour. Oliver is generally exhausted by the end of the day. Most of the shops, restaurants, and museums are dog friendly so he is busy all day. After dinner we go for an evening walk on the boardwalk. Ollie attracts much attention from patrons at the various bars along the way.

All’s well in Georgetown.

Some scenes from Georgetown.

The live oaks are stunning.

I have been informed that if I try to sustain myself with only shrimp and beer I will be inflicted with gout.

A small part of the huge steel mill at the end of the harbor (closed).

Evergreen still tied up at Georgetown.

October 30th- Carolina Beach to Pipeline Basin/ Southport, NC

Evergreen spent extra time in Carolina Beach waiting for the gusty north wind to subside. We wanted calmer winds for the Cape Fear River. We ate at the North End Cafe most mornings. They have a great bacon and egg sandwich. Before leaving we grabbed some home made banana pudding to have for dessert (delicious).

North End Cafe for breakfast.

Blackburn Brothers Seafood for dinner.

Big seas.

Almost Halloween.

Not a great place to buy property. Much of CB is inundated with water at high tide.

We traveled a short distance down the Cape Fear River and anchored in the Pipeline Basin. The pipeline is the discharge for the Brunswick Nuclear power plant. It’s actually a pretty nice spot and could use a better name.

Evergreen anchored in Pipeline Basin. Admiral taking a picture.

October 31st- Pipeline Basin/ Southport, NC to Waccamaw River/ Enterprise Landing, SC

Today was a productive travel day. We were able to ride the flood tide all the way through Myrtle Beach, right up to the Socastee Bridge near our chosen anchorage. This section of the ICW really makes you feel like you’re in a big ditch. In the past we’ve split this section into two days but we were making 7+ knots most of the day. At some point we crossed from North Carolina into South Carolina.

The highlight of the day was the Socastee Bridge tender. Some bridge tenders act like they don’t like to open their bridge. Not the case with this operator. It’s nice to hear a friendly voice over the VHF.

For Halloween night we anchored off the Waccamaw River in Enterprise Creek. We didn’t have any trick-or-treaters but there was plenty of Halloween ambiance in the jungle. We had owls, bats, fog, a jungle, and the occasional rattle of our anchor chain dragging along the bottom of the creek.

Sunset over the Waccamaw.

Evergreen anchored in Enterprise Creek.

Spooky morning fog on the Waccamaw.

November 1st- Enterprise Landing to Georgetown, SC

Maritime luck was with us again today. We rode the receding tide all the way down the Waccamaw River to Winyah Bay. Then traversed the short distance up the Sampit River to Georgetown. We pulled into the Harbor Walk marina for diesel. The plan was to anchor out in the river afterwards. Lynne spoke to the dock master about using the marina showers and laundry (we really needed the laundry). Since they just upgraded everything they no longer allow anchored transients to use the facilities. The Admiral enacted an executive override and opted for a marina slip for a few days. I somehow managed to get Evergreen into the slip. The trouble might be getting out due to river current and not much room for error.

Evergreen was looking “swampy”. Anchor mud, sand, branches, and dog footprints decorated the deck. I can’t remember the last time she’s had a good wash down. Today’s the day!

November 2nd- Georgetown, SC

Today we’re maximizing our usage of the laundry facility. I’ll be attending to some boat maintenance. We have our mail being expressed to the marina. Also on my to-do list, a hair cut.

It’s not all work. Georgetown is a really nice town with historic sites, good restaurants, and the Independent Seafood Market. The shrimp boats tie right up to the market.

Last but not least, Ollie’s brother, Ralphy, lives in Georgetown. Lynne walked up the street and Oliver started crying as soon as he saw Ralphy. He doesn’t play much with other dogs, with the exception of his buddy Finn, but he was sure happy to see Ralphy.

Independent Seafood.

The boys.

Evergreen docked at Harbor Walk Marina in Georgetown, SC

October 25th- Beaufort to Topsail Sound/ Surf City NC

We didn’t have a set date to leave Beaufort but the gloomy weather dictated we move on. We toured the town during our visit and added a few gallons of water to the tanks.

Industry around Morehead City

After passing Morehead City we traversed Bogue Sound and other various bays. The ICW is protected by the barrier islands of North Carolina. The bodies of water are all pretty shallow but there are well marked canals to follow. Eventually we passed through Camp Lejune. We didn’t see any soldiers today but we did see some aircraft.

Camp Lejune.

Fishing or catching birds?

There was one particularly shallow area around the base near New River Inlet but we didn’t have a problem.

Much of the run was through long straight dredged canals. I used our autopilot to steer and hit buttons throughout the day to adjust the course. Our Raymarine tiller autopilot on Catalpa was eventually named Ray. We have another Raymarine autopilot on Evergreen. This is a larger unit of a different design to accommodate Evergreen’s wheel. This autopilot has been dubbed Crazy Ivan. “Crazy Ivan” was a submarine manuver used by the USSR during the cold war. Their missle sub’s sonar had a blind spot and could not hear US subs that were tracking them from directly behind. The Russian subs would periodically make quick 90 degree turns to detect the US attack subs. This could result in collision. Every once in a while Evergreen’s autopilot executes the same maneuver when I’m using the remote. It keeps me on my toes.

We anchored in Topsail sound for the night. Across the road is Surf City beach. Ollie enjoyed the beach during his commando raids.

Evergreen anchored in Topsail Sound.

Morning fog.

October 26th- Topsail Sound to Carolina Beach, NC

We woke to fog and had a relaxing morning, waiting for it to dissipate a bit. Today’s passage was uneventful. The small outboard skiffs and center consoles increased through the day before reaching a crescendo at Wrightsville. They were buzzing like bees around that area. We call all the wakes, “North Carolina chop”. We anchored in Wrightsville once and couldn’t take it. Parts of Florida can be the same way.

We got to Carolina Beach which is also a “No Wake Zone” and is strictly enforced. We were happy to be pulling into the harbor and looking forward to resting and exploring for a few days. Unfortunately, we were unable to reserve a town mooring for the first night. No problem! We’ll just anchor. That’s where my problems started.

I consider myself experienced at anchoring and usually there is very little drama with the whole process. We were driving around one of the anchorages just slowly scoping out the depths and zeroing in on a good spot. Evergreen abruptly hit bottom and stopped dead. Engine full reverse! Engine full ahead! Nothing. Another cruiser came over with a big outboard powered dinghy to help push us out. He grounded. Eventually he was able to assist but we couldn’t move the boat much. I rowed out a kedge anchor and tried to crank Evergreen off the shoal using the genoa winches. Nothing. To make matters worse, there was a light breeze blowing Evergreen further into the shoal area. Very frustrating. Our boat is a shallow draft vessel but we were stuck in about two feet of water. Eventually I couldn’t move the rudder.

The tide continued to go out for another hour and then started to go up. With the help of the tide and our kedge anchor we got Evergreen off the shoal in a few hours.

Not done yet. More chaos!

At this point I could have anchored but decided to move to a second, less crowded, anchorage in the harbor. The sun was setting and we dropped the hook in a spot that looked good. We anchored near a large sailboat. In the dark the boats started to swing in odd directions due to current and lack of wind. We figured his lawyers were better than ours so we better move. Up anchor! In the pitch black we slowly motored around looking for another spot and trying very hard not to ground out again in the unfamiliar anchorage.

In the end we found a spot, ate, had a glass or two of wine, and collapsed for the night.

October 27th- Carolina Beach, NC

Up early. Ollie to shore. I see there is an open mooring now. Up anchor! We proceed over to the mooring field and tie onto a mooring. The wind is supposed to blow for a few days and I’m concerned about the Cape Fear river. We’re going to stay here for a while. There is a dinghy dock about 25 yards from the boat. Right up the road is a good cafe and the beach. Further down the harbor is a fish market and grocery options. Time to relax!

Some scenes from Carolina Beach.

View off the back porch.

October 24th- Beaufort, NC

With a load of seafood treasure, Evergreen left the RE Mayo docks for the trip to Beaufort on Saturday (the 22nd). There was a gusty wind blowing in the Bay and Neuse rivers. We spent a good portion of the day sailing downwind with our genoa out and only needed to motor in the canals.

Downwind sail with genoa. It took me a while to realise the significance of the 63. Evergreen is hull #63, the sixtythird boat built of that model.

Adams Creek canal.

We are anchored on Taylor Creek in Beaufort. When we got here there were many boats in the anchorage (seems to always be the case). We spent a while trying to find a good place to fit the boat. We are surrounded by big catamarans which take up a lot of space. We really like Beaufort (pronounced BO fort) but the Taylor Creek anchorage seems to always be problematic. There is a swift current and the boats tend to swing in different directions. On our last trip we were here during a storm on Halloween. It was chaos!

Yesterday (the 23rd) was spent on the boat due to rain. We had planned on lunch in town but gave up.

Monday October 24th- The rain has finally stopped but the day is overcast. We toured some of the shops and hit the Turner Street Market for lunch. The Reuben sandwich is still as good as the last time I had one here. Unfortunately, the adjacent brewery was closed today so I settled for a glass of iced tea. After lunch Ollie had some frisbee time and we met a few other dog families.

Some scenes from Beaufort.

Wild horses on Carrot Island.

October 21st- Belhaven to Hobucken/ R.E. Mayo, NC

We had planned for a short day so had a leisurely start. After Ollie’s morning walk, we headed over to River Forest Marina for diesel and water.

Today we passed through a few rivers and ended on a canal off Goose Creek. R.E. Mayo is a commercial shrimpboat dock. The dock is ok. The seafood is outstanding! The dockage rate is 40 cents a foot which is also outstanding for a cheapskate like me. Shrimp for dinner tonight. Red snapper in the near future. We also picked up some New Bedford sea scallops that somehow cost less than when we buy them in New Bedford.

Today turned out to be a big engine maintenance day at the dock. I had a growing list of things to do. Engine work starts off by unpacking about half the boat. I did an oil change and checked over a number of things. One of our engine mounts vibrated loose. I tightened down the offending mount but am not too sure about the engine alignment now. We’ll see how things go on the way to Beaufort.

View off the back porch.

Evergreen docked at RE Mayo Seafood.

October 17th- Dismal Swamp Welcome Center to Elizabeth City, NC

The pier we were tied to filled up in the evening. We had 5 boats. One boat was partially anchored and was able to tie their stern to the dock (creative solution). We rafted up another boat to Evergreen for the night. In the morning we hung around the docks so we could pick up some local peanuts from the welcome center when they opened. We locked through South Mills with another sailboat. We then headed down the Pasquotank River to Elizabeth City. Eventually we stopped to empty our engine filter of duckweed.

Parting a sea of green.

Waiting for the bridge at South Mills Lock.

Pasquotank River . Still very “Dismal Swampish”.

Elizabeth City is very welcoming of cruising boats. There are many free docks and it’s also a good anchorage. We docked on the Jennette Brothers commercial pier. They only ask that you spend some money in town.

Evergreen docked at Jennette Brothers pier, Elizabeth City.

October 18th- Elizabeth City to Alligator River, NC

Wind! Sailing!

We left Elizabeth City in the company of a few sailboats that we had met along the way. There was a morning “small craft advisory” for the Albemarle Sound but the wind was blowing the right way and I was looking forward to some sailing. Much of it was down wind which isn’t Evergreen’s favorite point of sail. Reefed sails, full sails, mains’l only, genoa only, beam reach, downwind run. I think the only thing I didn’t do today was deploy the spinnaker pole. We made good time. Eventually the breeze died out somewhere in the Alligator River and we motored to our anchorage.

The Alligator River is one of the most remote places along the ICW. It’s one of the few places where there is no phone connectivity. The temperature dropped throughout the day. We were in for a chilly evening. On the plus side- No Mosquitoes! There is no light pollution out here so the Milky Way was on full display at night. We anchored further up the river than the other boats. There is a state boat ramp and dock up a swamp canal to bring Ollie for his evening commando raid.

On the way to the secret dock.

Evergreen anchored on The Alligator River.

AM commando raid.

October 19th- Alligator River to Belhaven, NC

We had a quiet and cool night on the Alligator River. The woodstove warmed the cabin in the morning. A big breakfast of eggs, cheese, and potatoes was devoured while waiting for the morning to warm up. We eventually headed back down the Alligator River a bit to hook up with the Alligator Pungo Canal. Evergreen had a head wind but the surrounding forrest blocked most of the effects. We exited the canal to the Pungo River and had a short but wet ride to Pantego Creek and Belhaven.

Alligator Pungo Canal.

October 20th- Belhaven, NC

We’re having a shore leave day in Belhaven. We needed a few things in town. Oliver needed some serious exercise. There are many open fields in Belhaven and we deployed both ball and frisbee to tire out the beast. He was satisfied with his fun-time activities.

Evergreen anchored on Pantego Creek in Belhaven.

October 16th- Dismal Swamp/ Elizabeth’s Dock, VA to Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, NC

There is only 22 miles between the two locks on the Dismal Swamp Canal but we like to spend some time in the jungle admiring the flora and fauna.

The duckweed was plentiful but we didn’t draw much into the engine filter. We hit a few big logs shortly after leaving the dock and were on the lookout for the remainder of the day. The canal debris seemed less further south. Since it was a short day I kept our speed down. There was a sailboat behind us that later told us he could see our green bottom paint on the first log we rammed. There is a something to be said about heavy old boats with thick hulls.

Deep Creek draw bridge.

On watch.

We crossed into North Carolina and docked at the welcome center. We wanted to dock right at the only water spigot to fill the tanks. I was very focused on the dock and forgot to look up. No damage done but many branches, leaves, and acorns on deck. I think we hit the same tree with Catalpa. I guess we took out some branches higher up this time.

We had lots of interested visitors throughout the day. This is also the North Carolina visitor center for route 17. Cars pull in and people walk down to the dock to see the boats. We met many friendly people today. Ollie is ready to jump onto the dock at a moment’s notice. We toured some of the state park grounds and the Dismal Swamp museum.

Evergreen docked at The Dismal Swamp welcome center.