Back on the Bay

By 6:30 AM we had made the Great Bridge Bridge 6AM opening and successfully passed through the Great Bridge Lock in Virginia.
Here's a look at the "ruler" inside the lock indicating how far you will rise or fall -- we only fell 1 foot.

It was very anti-climatic. Not at all like the Erie Canal locks I rode through on a tour boat.

As you can see here, we traversed the lock at sunrise. The lightening skies and morning quiet really added to the experience. This was good,, since it was such a non-event. Christine and I were quite disappointed. But, props to the Captain and Andy for knowing how to tie the lines and make it all work.

Joining us in the Lock was the Captain and Crew of the Mary Kathryn whom we had met waiting out the storm in Charleston. We are now running up the Chesapeake Bay together, destination: Solomons Island for a night at anchor before heading to Annapolis tomorrow (Sunday).
Before entering the Bay we traveled through Norfolk Harbor, under the watchful eye of gunners and patrol boats protecting the naval fleet. At 8AM, Mid-way through the harbor, we cheered as we passed Mile 0 of the Atlantic IntraCoastal Waterway. Freedom has now explored over 1,000 miles of the ICW, from the party at the sand bar off of Key Biscayne to the industrial and military waterfront of Norfolk.
We are now in familiar waters, dodging crab pots and letting the autopilot steer our way north.

Local Papers

Local Papers

Whenever we go ashore we try to pick up a newspaper and catch up on what’s happening in town and around the world. We can always read the latest news via apps on our phones -- as long as there is internet service -- or catch the news-loop on CNN, but there is no better way to tune into the local culture than the paper -- be it a big city daily or a small town weekly.

Over the past several days we have picked up papers in Charleston, SC (multi-sectioned daily); Georgetown, SC (2 section daily); and Swansboro, NC (1 section weekly, plus inserts from Piggly Wiggly and the like). I was not the only crew member to peruse the obituaries in each paper and notice that everyone passes on differently in each location. In Charleston, you “go to rest in eternal peace.” In Georgetown, the departed “go home to be with the Lord,” and in Swansboro, well there you just “die.”

The expression we enjoyed most was from our friend Jim in South Carolina, who simply says you “step off the bus.”

Take your pick -- just not too soon.

Over the River and Under the Bridges

We have been in some remote locations and internet service has been very spotty this week, preventing me from keeping up with the blog. Here is a recap of our week:

Mile 309 - 229
After Monday’s adventure through the rockpile, Tuesday brought us a series of bridges through northern South Carolina and southern North Carolina. Many bridges along the ICW are 65 feet or higher, but others are anywhere from 7 to 12 feet. Freedom needs 26’. Some bridges open on the hour every hour, some on the hour and the half hour, and some by request. Some of those are drawbridges and some are swing bridges. Before every bridge on Tuesday we asked the question: do we throttle up and go for it, or slow down, relax and wait for the next opening? It made for some exciting moments, particularly when the tender of a “once an hour opening” bridge told us we needed to “put a beat on it” and that we did, just slipping through at the last minute. Phew!

Meanwhile on Freedom, Christine organized my galley -- what a treat! I’ll write more about that later on our companion blog, FreedomFare Afloat.blogspot.com.

We spent Tuesday night at Casper's Marina in Swansboro, SC where we foolishly ignored advice to go to Cap’n Charlie’s Seafood Paradise Restaurant.

Mile 229 - 141
Wednesday’s trip was much more relaxing than Monday or Tuesday’s - but just as long, covering 88 miles. We bid farewell to our cruising companions Gene and Carol on September Rose as they turned into Oriental, NC, and we continued on up the Nuese River. The Nuese’s wide body reminded us all of the Chesapeake Bay - a welcome relief after the narrow and rocky waterways of the past few days.

Wednesday night we found a remote, pristine anchorage off near the mouth of the Pungo River. The meandering shores were lined with grasses as far as the eye could see. Some locals stopped by, out for their first ride of the season, to say hello and ask where we were coming from and where we were going. The first and last boat we saw all night.

Mile 141 - 104
Right now (Thursday evening)I am writing at anchor at Tuckahoe Point on the Alligator River. We stopped here just after noon upon hearing the swing bridge a few miles ahead had been closed due to high winds (gusts up to 30 mph). We can see at least a dozen other boats at anchor waiting out the weather. Although the bridge opened a few hours ago we decided to stay put for the night. The Albermarle Sound lays ahead, and it should only be crossed in the best conditions -- even in an ocean going vessel like Freedom. It turns out to be a gift from Mother Nature -- we have all enjoyed the chance to rest, read, and recharge for the final days of our trip. Scrabble Tournament after dinner.....

Rolling Down the Rivers

We have made great progress on our journey over the past few days - covering 90 miles on Monday and 80 miles yesterday(Tuesday). That might not sound like a lot, but on the ICW it is like working double overtime.

On Sunday night we stopped in Georgetown, SC -- a beautiful southern town with tree lined streets, graceful homes with porches, and a church on every corner (or so it seemed). Georgetown, founded in 1729, is South Carolina's third oldest city (after Charleston and Beaufort) but it is also the probable site of the first European settlement in North America in 1526. Unfortunately, Sunday is truly a day of rest in Georgetown and no shops or museums were open. We had hoped to visit the Rice Museum -- this was major rice growing area until the Civil War and several devastating hurricanes wiped out most of the industry. I look forward to returning to Georgetown to take a walking tour of the city, visit the Rice Museum, sample the Hog Maw at Aunny's Country Kitchen Restaurant, and enjoy the chocolate chip cookies (rumored to be the best on the ICW) at the Kudzu Bakery and Mercantile.

Christine and I had hoped to be able to stop in at the Kudzu Bakery at 9AM Monday morning but the Captain and the tide had other plans.So, we were off, following September Rose, another Selene from Annapolis, through the cypress swamps along the Waccama River. This was the most remote and beautiful stretch of the ICW I have encountered. For most of the day we had no cell or internet service. While doing my TRX in the cockpit, I spied several bald eagles in their nests - some tending to their young. Leaving the swamps we grasped the steering wheel and entered The Rock Pile. When the ICW was established a cut needed to be made at Pine Island, SC. Undeterred by the granite ledge they discovered, the Army Corps of Engineers simply detonated the rock, leaving the rocky debris along the shore. At first, the ICW was wide and deep, but over the years, shifting tides have moved the rocks closer and closer to the boat traffic. If you go through at low tide you can see some of these errant rock piles, but at high tide they are submerged requiring diligent attention to the depth sounder and remaining on the "Magenta Line" -- the color of the line on paper charts depicting the path of the ICW. One false move and you are heading in for repairs. After a long but scenic day, we settled into a slip in Southport , SC where we enjoyed dinner aboard and girls vs. boys round of Catch Phrase.
Just before bed we looked out the window to see a row of three tugs pulling a minimum of 5 connected barges carrying dredging equipment -- quite a sight in the dark,and a convoy we would not want to encounter during the day in the narrow and shallow passages of the ICW. A long, busy and varied day --and I still haven't told you about Tuesday!.
Here is what one of the barge dredging convoys looks like in daylight. We came to realize they stay put during the day to avoid pleasure craft, and travel the ICW at night when folks like us are safely at anchor or at a dock.

Freedom Fitness

As soon as we tie up at a Marina and tidy up a bit the first thing the Freedom crew wants to do is get on shore and stretch our legs! A good brisk walk always feels good. Our slip in Charleston was at least a quarter mile from shore affording us a good walk just to get to the showers. But, we don't go to shore everyday and on those days we have a few other options: exercise videos are convenient (but sometimes require more space for movement or equipment than we store on board); the stereo can provide good background music to established routines; and then there is our favorite: the TRX. Designed by a Navy Seal the TRX suspension training system utilizes nylon straps to create resistance from your body weight and gravity. It provides a terrific workout from the cockpit of the boat. There is nothing better than cruising along among the cypress or the marshlands while keeping up with our fitness routines. The view at the Y is much different!
(One thing I learned early on is that many yoga stretches, especially the one-legged variety, are not to be attempted underway.)

What a Difference a Day Makes

After a day of high winds, waves crashing over the dock, boats testing the strength of their fenders,tornado watches and "small people warnings" we awoke to clear blue skies, lighter air and calmer seas. So it is back on the ICW, destination Georgetown, SC. Andy is at the wheel, Christine is having her first shower on a moving boat and the Captain is navigating.

Charming Charleston

After a "skinny" trip up the IntraCoastal on Thursday - holding our collective breaths along the shallow parts- we anchored in Conch Creek for a night before tying up at Charleston City Marina Friday mornnng. A certain comraderie deloped among the boats we encountered in the shallow passages - exchanging valuable information on depths and hazards as well as sights on shore including a wild boar! It has been fun to meet many of these fellow travelers here at the marina.
We enjoyed lunch at Salty Mike's with Chet's good friend and College of Charleston student Ben Bevan and then took the Marina shuttle bus into town for a carriage tour. Our plans had been to leave today and head towards Georgetown, SC but stormy weather is heading this way so we have opted to stay put for another day. No complaints here! While the Captain and Al took the shuttle to West Marine, Donna and I explored the Saturday Farmer's. Market in Marion Square. We filled our bags with produce, local cheese, and grits. We're back on the boat for an afternoon on laundry, showers, and naps before welcoming Andy and Christine.
In the log book we will be certain to note that Charleston requires at least a 3 day stop when we head south in the fall.
Please excuse all typos - using my phone and the keys and font are small!