The Ups and Downs of Cruising

As we again find ourselves waiting for mechanics to arrive to see if they can find out why our batteries are not being charged for a second day, we watch the tides rise and fall in daily anticipation of continuing our saga.

High tide

Low tide

Starting North

 

After an enjoyable dinner with Cindy’s grade school friend Jim Stocker and his wife Annette in Fernandina, we began our journey north first anchoring overnight near Cumberland Island.

Did not see any of the wild horses but had a beautiful spot from which to call in for a Traverse Symphony Board meeting.


Then it was a day of rough weather motoring back to St Simon Island, a repeat dinner at Coastal Kitchen, tune up on the alternator belt by Brunswick since that unit wasn’t properly charging, then off to two nights of anchoring on our way to Savannah in order to hit the very shoal prone and shallow areas of Mud River and Hell’s Gate.

 Along the way some beautiful marsh scenery
 and sunsets, amazing weather, and even an idyllic island, and some quality kitty time at sunset.

 Now back at Thunderbolt Marina in Savannah awaiting the arrival of marine technicians as we completely ran battery power to nothing the second night meaning the alternator is still not functioning. Plus our directional magenta line on the brand new navatronics disappeared right at Sapalo Sound (where we ran aground 3 months ago) and doesn’t pick up again until north of Charleston; so we now feel that is our version of the Bermuda Triangle, and the autohelm is functioning intermittently as well.

The Adventure Continues

 The boat was finally finished March 10 so we took a leisurely 3 days to return via a visit to friends Ann and Gary in Indianapolis,^th ,with a quick lunch at favorite Bazbeau’s pizza – still one of the best, Mexican dinner at a Fountain Sq. place; and a stop in scenic Oak Ridge TN to Priscilla and Scott McKinney’s.

Patches on "watch" for birdies

 Then it was a perfect 65th Birthday weekend for Cindy as we returned to our healthy boat, played golf at Jekyll Island, sat in wicker rockers at the Jekyll Island Club, had peel and eat shrimp at the waterside “Rah Bar” listening to a 60s band. Then Sunday sailed from Brunswick to Fernandina Beach FL out on the Atlantic once again, with kitties readapting to life at sea and ending the day with a shrimp and grits dinner at waterside Brett’s restaurant.


After a restful two days we will begin our journey back north through the Carolinas to the Chesapeake.

Winter wonderland in TC

Not totally surprisingly but disappointing the boat repairs have been delayed even further so the Bahamas are pretty much out of the realm of possibilities for this winter. However, with luck the boat should be finished by the end of this week and we will return to Brunswick, GA. Then maybe a few days a bit south to Fernandina and Jacksonville, then it's head back north so the boat can be on the Chesapeake by May 1 to charter for the summer out there. Then we will go back next fall to again attempt the voyage.
 In the meantime we have enjoyed the cold weather as best we can, taking a walk out on frozen Grand Traverse Bay at the end of the Old Mission Peninsula yesterday.

The bay only freezes about once every 7 years and now we have had two winters in a row with most of the Great Lakes completely frozen. The downside of this beauty is that our grapevines are taking a major hit, with just a 25% crop last year and now in danger of complete die back to the ground so we start from scratch.