November 6, 2011, Sun.

We got to Charleston City Marina around 2:45 on Wed. We cleaned up the boat, ordered a pizza for dinner. Then Barb & Ken from Plumpuppet and Katja and Geoff from Blue Planet stopped by. They got in earlier and went into town. Gave Barb her shrimp from Georgetown and then they went back to their boats to get ready to leave the next AM. We are staying for four nights. Thursday, we got wash done and Bob changed fuel filters. On Friday we met Chris & Susan from Forever Friday in town for lunch. They stayed at the Maritime Marina, which is the opposite side of town from the Charlestown City dock. We need to try it sometime. Then we walked to Harris Teeter, stocked up on more food and called the Marina van to pick us up. Once we got back to Jany K, my sister Judy and brother-in-law Bob and nephew Drew had checked into the house they rented in town and then came over to the Marina. We had dinner at Magnolia’s. On Saturday Judy, Bob and Drew came to the boat for lunch, then we walked around town. Then the guy’s went back to the house and Judy and I shopped King St.. We had Dinner at Lana’s, also very good. Today we’re leaving for Beaufort and and Judy, Bob and Drew will meet us there on Monday.   

                                                       Charleston City Marina  Mega Dock

                                            Judy, Bob & Drew outside the Charleston Market

November 8, 2011, Tues.

 Today we left Beaufort S.C. at 7:15 after a fun time in Beaufort and Charleston. I’m so glad that my sister, Judy, Bob and Drew got to spend some time with us in two of my favorite towns. We always have a good time together. We walked through Beaufort and I showed Judy the southern mansion that had the apartment that our parents lived in when our Dad was stationed here. My sister was a baby at the time and our Mom was pregnant with me. As I always say that’s what draws me to this town, cause I was conceived here. Hahaha  The house is now a beautiful renovated southern mansion and is privately owned, with a lot of history.

We had dinner at Plum’s which was good, but not as good as when we had dinner there back in May on our way north with Fred, Ginny, Rick and Tina.

We crossed the Savannah River today into Georgia at 11:35 AM, got into Kilkenny Marina around 4:00. A long day, about 80 miles.

                                                         

Judy & I outside the home that my parents rented an apartment.

  Judy & Drew

November 9, 2011, Wed.

Another early morning, we left Kilkenny Marina at 7:15 for Brunswick. A quiet night in outback Georgia. The docks are wobbly as always, but they said they had a bad storm 

in October, which really made them a mess. Couldn’t tell by me, although they also said they just had the wood delivered to do them over. We’ll see, right, Fred and Gin! Hahaha

This morning when Bob started the motor, Boots looked at him and actually moaned. I think she’s had it with going early so many days, then stop for a few, then go again. She’s ready to get home, just look at her face in the picture. I think Bob and I are ready to spend some time at home too. We must be getting old, six months living aboard with only three weeks at home is getting to be old hat

.

                                                            Boots is not happy!!

November 10, 2011, Thurs.

We left Brunswick Landing Marina at 7:30. A nice night there after a big Welcome from Sherry, the dockmaster. It’s always nice stopping there. We left Banshee there for the month of December to go home for Christmas, then we drove our car back and left it there for a month till we could pick it up and bring it down to Florida. We might take Jany K there for the next hurricane season if we don’t go north.

We were hoping to meet up with Kathy and Earl from Seeker while we were there.  We met them at Brunswick in 2008, when we were there with Banshee and have kept in touch, but, both our schedules changed and they won’t be there till Saturday, so we’ll catch up in Vero.

Susan and Chris called from Forever Friday and they’ll be in Fernandina Beach, Florida for tonight. We’ll pick up a mooring there and catch up to them, then head to St. Augustine with them. We crossed into Florida at approximately 11:30 today. Getting closer to home!!!

November 11, 2011, Fri.

We left the mooring at Fernandina Beach around 7:30 AM, after a very windy night. A cold front came through in the afternoon, just after we got there and as we were blowing up the dinghy to go into town. We decided against taking the dinghy in, cause it’s a pretty long ride from the mooring field and I would get soaked. It’s just like it was when we were there with Banshee and I did get soaked trying to get into town. We were going to meet Chris and Susan from Forever Friday for dinner, but that will wait for St. Augustine. Around 10:00 PM the wind even got worse. They said it was 25 to 30 MPH out of the NW. There were 3 foot waves in the mooring field, we were really jumping in the water and the waves would slap the boat so hard, there was no sleeping. We both got up at 5:30 and turned on the generator and heat. The temperature dropped to the 40’s overnight. We put on our long underwear and bundled up for our trip down the ICW to St. Augustine.

November 13, 2011, Sun.

We left the mooring in St. Augustine around 7:45 AM for Halifax Harbor in Daytona. We were in St. Augustine for 2 nights. It was very nice. When we got to St. Augustine on Friday afternoon, we talked to Chris and Susan from Forever Friday. They picked up a mooring also. We were so tired from no sleep in Fernandina, that we decided to stay in and we would get together Saturday. After a good nights sleep we felt human again. The temperature went up and the wind died down for a beautiful day. We took the dinghy into town and met Chris and Susan. We walked around town and had lunch. It’s a great town for walking with plenty of shops and restaurants. We also walked into Flagler College, very old and beautiful with lots of history. Susan and I got into trouble. We walked into the dinning room to see the Tiffany stained glass windows. The guard promptly told us that was off limits and didn’t we see the 3 signs. We did, but we just thought we could peek in. I told Susan she’s a bad influence, you know I would never do anything like that on my own!! hahaha Later Chris and Susan came over and we had cocktails and a lot of laughs.

We didn’t get to meet up with Mike and Kimberly, they had a lot of family visiting. We’ll get together now that we’ll be home soon.

November 14. 2011, Mon.

We left Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona at 7:30AM. It’s a nice marina, very big and a good stop to remember. We only stopped in Daytona one other time with Banshee and we anchored just off the ICW.

A short walk from the marina is the Chart House restaurant, were we met Chris and Susan for dinner. They are having their boat painted, so they’re at the marina next to Halifax for a couple weeks. We’ll catch back up when they’re in Vero and we’ll be home. Before Bob and I left for dinner, I was up on the flybridge on the phone, when this huge Heron came flying right at the front window. Thank goodness, it was zipped shut. It then landed on the bimini. I called Bob up, cause I know he wouldn’t believe it. He stood on the aft deck looking up eye to eye with it.. Bob couldn’t believe how big it was. He then hit the underneath of the bimini and it took off hollering. It sounded so prehistoric.

Tonight Cocoa Village Marina, then Vero, then home as long as the weather holds and before the next cold front comes through. Yeah!

November 15, 2011, Tues.

We left Cocoa Village Marina at 7:30 AM. It’s another good stop, nice people, bathrooms, laundry, and lounge. We walked into the village, but it was dark. It looks like a lot of shops and restaurants. After we were tied up in our slip and got the marina tour, the one breaker on the boat shut down. We had the air conditioner, water heater and battery charger on, which is the same as always. The manager of the marina, came and checked the plug and changed the breaker on the pedestal. At least it didn’t burn our cord. We then had a problem with the battery charger constantly running or a fan running, so we had to shut that down. Then to add to the excitement the CO detector that’s wired to the boat went off and we had to cut the wires to shut it off. Not Done Yet! A couple hours later the battery CO detector up front goes off. We tried new batteries, but that didn’t help, so we took the batteries out all together. Thank goodness I had another battery CO detector that worked. Don’t get it!

November 16, 2011, Wed.

We got to Vero Beach Municipal Marina around 2:00 on Tuesday and picked up a mooring, which was good, cause the wind really started kicking and trying to dock in a slip would not have been fun. We took the dinghy in to check in and fill up some water bottles. Then came back to the boat and deflated the dinghy, cleaned up the boat, the best we could. Had dinner, watched Dancing with the Stars and went to bed.

We left Vero around 7:30 AM for a short 27 miles to Nettles and home. We got into Nettles around 10:30 AM. When we were about two miles from home, Bob throttled up and we went up on plane and we were doing 14.4 knots. It was fun.

We are now home and boy it sure feels good after 6 months or so living on the boat, except for 3 weeks home in September. Although it’s bittersweet, knowing when we were coming from Vero, that we would be moving off the boat and wouldn’t be traveling everyday. We’re not sure what’s next, but hope to take some short trips with the boat this winter. Then decide what we’ll do next spring and summer. In the meantime lots of boat cleanup and condo projects. Bob’s most favorite things to do. Hahaha