Voyaging America's Great Loop Aboard Still Waters II

Author: Dave

  • Recalculating

    Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!  Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

    We have a new virtual crew member, Welcome Aboard KMHowitt!!

    Summary of week:

    BBYHThe crew only travelled two days in the past week.  On Tuesday they cruised to the Middle River and meet some new friends.  On Wednesday they made their way to the Elk River and then the Bohemia River before docking at the Bohemia River Yacht Harbour.

    Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log.

    Still Waters II VIMEO site

    At the Box Office, this week there is no new video.

    To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site

    Monday, July 17 , 2017

    You might recall the crew met a boat back in Zimmerman’s who had engine trouble and was having one engine rebuilt.  The trouble was due to the raw water pump impeller failing which lead to the engine overheating.  The skipper asked the mechanics how often one should change out the raw water pump impeller and the answer surprised the skipper.  They recommended replacing the impeller annually.  Still Waters II’s impellers were last changed in June 2015 when the crew first moved onboard.

    Since the skipper believes that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, he decided it was time to change the impellers.  The marina did not have the impellers that the skipper needed, so Zimmerman’s had the impellers delivered to the Herrington Harbour North marina.

    On Monday morning, the skipper walked over and picked up the impellers.   He then spent most of the day changing the impellers out.  It was a good thing the engines had not run in a few days because the engine room was hot enough without any additional heat.  Turns out that his time was well spent because the impeller blades had began to crack and failure was imminent.

    Tuesday, July 18, 2017

    88 Tim & Terry
    Tim & Terry

    Tim and Terry became virtual crew members back in May 2017 when they began to follow the Still Water II adventures.

    Tim and Terry are in the planning phase of cruising the Loop and reached out to our crew to see if they could arrange a face-to-face meeting.

    The crew was excited to meet some virtual crew members and help them with any questions that they might have about the Loop.

    The crew made a calm cruise up to the Middle River and docked at Bowley’s Marina.  The cruise did take the crew past some landmarks on the Bay.

    The Thomas Point Shoal Light

    The lighthouse is the only screw-pile lighthouse in the Bay which still stands at its original location.  The light was originally lit in 1875 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places a hundred years later in 1975.  The light was automated in 1986.  The white light has a range of 16 nautical miles while the red light has a range of 11 nautical miles.  The Coast Guard was passing by as the skipper was taking this shot.

    45

    The Chesapeake Bay Bridge

    From the Colonial Period until the Bay Bridge was completed in 1952, Ferries were used to cross the Bay.  Talk of building a bridge across the Bay began in the 1880’s.  The bridge was finally authorized in 1927, but because of the economic collapse of the Great Depression construction was cancelled.  The construction was further delayed because of WWII.  Ground was finally broken in January 1949, and the bridge opened to traffic July 30, 1952.

    The bridge at one point is 186 feet above the water.  The narrow lanes, with no shoulders, and low guardrails, have earned the bridge the title of one of the scariest bridges to drive across.  At a little over four miles to cross in high winds, yes that would be a scary ride.

    46 five miles out from Bay Bridge
    Five Miles from Bay Bridge
    48
    Passing under Bay Bridge

    The Sandy Point Shoal Light

    This light house was originally lit in 1883.  She was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.  In 2006, the Coast Guard auction the lighthouse off to a private bidder after unsuccessfully trying to get a non-profit to take the lighthouse.

    50 Sandy Point Shoal Light

    After arriving at the marina, the crew got settled and awaited the arrival of their guests.  Tim and Terry arrived about 1730 and suggested the By the Docks Seafood Restaurant.  They also suggested the crab cakes.  The foursome enjoyed the meal and talking about the Great Loop.  The Admiral believes that the crab cakes were the best she has ever eaten.

    After a great meal the four returned to the boat and continued to talk about the Loop.  Tim and Terry also shared about a week charter that they had taken back in May.  They charted a Grand Banks and spent a week cruising the Chesapeake Bay.  However, some folks still have to work, so Tim and Terry departed and headed for home.

    The crew had a wonderful time and hope and pray for Tim and Terry to be able to fulfill their dream of cruising the Loop.  Until then, our crew is glad that they are virtual crew members aboard Still Waters II.

    Wednesday, July 19, 2017

    The crew left the Middle River and made their way to the Elk River and then the Bohemia River where they docked at the Bohemia River Yacht Harbour.  There was very little wind and things were shaping up for another hazy, hot, humid day.

    52 Looking out from Middle River
    Looking across the haze of the Bay from Middle River

    If you look closely at the pic above, you can see a small crab boat off to the left of center.  As the crew approached they were able to get a good view of the crab men working their pots.  The skipper was trying to take a picture and caught one of the guys with a big smile and a wave.

    54

    As the crew approached the Elk River they watched these four sailboats motor by.

    56

    Then about the time the skipper was about to turn to starboard and head into the Bohemia River, this behemoth came around the bend from the C&D Canal.  The skipper gladly got out of the big ship channel and let this big boy go by.

    61

    The skipper had tried to make reservations for a week at the Yacht Harbour, but the marina was full for the weekend so the crew would only get to stay until Friday.  The skipper spent some time while they were cruising trying to figure out where they might go for the weekend.  Upon arrival at the marina the crew was informed of a few cancellations and were able to secure a spot for the week.

    Saturday, July 22 , 2017

    The last few days have continued to be hot and humid.  However, the Bohemia Bay Yacht Harbour has a nice swimming pool.  The crew has been taking it easy and enjoying the A/C and pool.  They also have procured a rental car and headed over to Delaware City to visit Fort Delaware.

    The fort is on Pea Island in the Delaware River.  The current fort was  built from 1848-1860 to protect Philadelphia.  This is the third fort to be built on the Pea Island.

    During the Civil War, the Island was used to house Confederate POWs and political prisoners.  There were 51 Barracks built outside the Fort to house the POWs.  Each Barrack housed 250 prisoners.  The original Barracks are all gone, but this replica was built in 2001.

    81

    Inside the Barrack

    80 POW Barracks

    The crew arrived on Pea Island by a short Ferry Boat ride from Delaware City.  After arrival at the Island they took a tram from the waterfront dock to the Fort entrance.

    64 Ferry to Fort Delaware

    Shortly after arrival, they watched a cannon demonstration where a 5-man cannon crew loaded and fired the gun.  Interesting enough, the Fort had cannons aimed in the general direction of the Southern prisoners.  The threat of a cannon blast kept the POW’s in line because there was never any issues of rebellion from the prisoners.

    79

    The crew spent about two hours wandering around the fort taking the self guided tour.  There were many volunteers in period costumes in the rooms to answer questions about life at the Fort.

    Crossing the moat at the Sally Port

    67

    The Kitchen

    69

    The Mess Hall

    70 Mess Hall

    A few soldiers cleaning their guns

    72

    The Store Room Clerk

    73

    The Doctor was in

    76

    After a couple of hours, the heat and humidity had taken its toll and the crew was ready to make their way back to the main land.

    Boat Name of the Week

    The skipper is reading a book about the California Gold Rush, so he was a bit surprised at the timing of seeing this sailboat leave the Harbour.

    Fools Gold

    62

    Next Week –

    The crew will continue to sight see in the general area and start their move to New York City on Wednesday.  They hope to be in Cape May by Thursday and arrive in NYC on the following Monday.

    Loop On –

    The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

    Eric the Red

  • Three H’s: Hazy, Hot, and Humid

    Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

    We have a new virtual crew member this week: cdb13212, Welcome Aboard!

    Some friends sent this picture of a ‘boat’ they saw cruising in Canada.  Yes, that is a outboard motor, on a raft, with a picnic table.

    73 Picnic Cruising

    Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

    Summary of week:

    Herrington Harbour North

    The crew has worked their way up the west side of the Chesapeake Bay.  They spent the first part of the week in Mobjack Bay getting some repair work done to the boat.  Then moved to anchor at Smiths Point for an exciting night on Thursday.  Friday they moved to Solomons and then on to Herrington Harbour North Marina for the weekend.

    Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log.

    Still Waters II VIMEO site

    At the Box Office, no new video this week.

    Click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site

    Monday, July 10, 2017

    The crew made the 21-mile jump from the York River over to the Mobjack Bay and then up the East River.  The run was short but very picturesque.  At one point, the skipper decided to Navigate thru the Swash Channel.  The channel is narrow with only 1-3 feet of water if you drift out of the channel.

    Entering Mobjack Bay

    46 Mobjack Bay

    The risk of running aground was worth the 10 miles it shaved off the route.  At one point the mean low level on the chart showed only 5 feet in the channel.  However, the skipper timed it so they would pass over this 5-foot mark at high tide.  The crew showed 7 feet when they cruised over the low area.

    The scenery along the East River banks:

    47

    48

    49

    The boat yard was ‘Johnny on the spot’.  They were on the boat quickly and diagnosed the problem and got the part ordered for the oven.  Unfortunately, the part is coming from the west coast.  We will see when it gets here.

    Tuesday, July 11, 2017

    Still waiting on the part, we need to fix the oven, a thermal overload.  The electrician did find a short to ground in some electrical wiring, got the short repaired, and now the three lights that were not burning will illuminate again.

    The crew decided to take the courtesy car into town and run a few errands.  They pulled into a Chick-Fil-A and were surprised to learn it was Cow Appreciation Day.  Everyone dressed as a cow got a free entrée.

    74 cows

    75

    Wednesday, July 12, 2017

    The electric part for the oven arrived, the electrician installed the part, and got the oven working again.  The crew made plans to leave on Thursday at high tide so they could get out of the shallow cove that leads back into the East River.

    In the meantime, the crew decided to go back into town to enjoy a nice meal and a Concert on the Green.

    They ate at a place called Lulu’s Birdhouse that came recommended by an office worker at the boatyard.  The food was delicious.  The deserts, even better!

    78

    After polishing off the cheesecake and coconut cake, the crew headed down the street to take in the Concert on the Green sponsored by the local Recreation Department.  The duo played and sang Irish and Scottish folk music.  Very entertaining.

    79

     

    Thursday, July 13, 2017

    The crew set off for Smith’s Point late in the morning.  They saw a local YMCA group sailing sunfish sailboats as they left the East River.

    51 Sunfish sailors

    They made their way past the New Point Comfort Lighthouse.

    52 New Port Comfort Light

    Then arrived at the Point Smith Light late in the afternoon.

    53 Smithpoint Light

    The crew got settled amongst the many crab pots and tried to stay in the shade while they waited for the sun to set and begin to cool off a bit from the high of 96 today.  After the sun set the crew settled in to what was believed to be a hot night on the water.

    The calm before the storm.

    55 Anchored at Smithpoint

    About 2300 lightening started so the Admiral woke the skipper and suggested he lower the antennae.  He did and then checked his weather radar.  The storms were all several miles north of the crew with winds out of the south.  They were sitting in cloudless skies with stars shinning abundantly.

    Just as the skipper was about to doze off again, he heard what sounded like rain on the water.  He got up and looked outside and noticed no stars, only a dark sky.  Then a high blast of wind hit him and then rain was blowing sideways rather than falling to the water.  He quickly shut the three boat hatches.  The rocking of the boat and noise woke the Admiral.  She started closing the windows on the sundeck.  The skipper hurried to the helm to check on the boat anchor.

    The wind was pushing the rain so hard that it just looked like a blanket of water pounding the boat windows.  The skipper could tell that the wind was pushing the boat and dragging the anchor, but visibility was so poor he could not see the water below the boat much less any lights on land that might give a clue where they were moving.  He cranked the engines on and then fired up the chart plotter.  Before the chart plotter came to life both engines died.

    And then just like that, the wind, rain, and clouds were all gone and the stars filled the skies above again.  The whole evolution from calm, to storm, and back to calm all took place in less than five minutes of time.  With visibility restored the chart plotter confirmed what the skipper could now see.  The boat was stuck in the mud about 10 yards from someone’s seawall.

    The skipper got out one of his fishing poles and dipped the tip into the water to determine the depth.  The boat was sitting in three feet of water.  Her draft is three feet nine inches, so they were shoved up in the mud good.

    The skipper found the tide tables and determined that high tide would be 0600 with about a foot of water.  That should be plenty to float them free.  While waiting on the tide to flow in and raise the water level, the skipper started using the anchor to try to pull the boat out of the mud.

    The skipper would tug and pull on the anchor chain while the Admiral used the windlass to take up any slack that might form.  They maintained this effort for the next four hours and managed to move the boat a few feet away from the shore.  The skipper kept checking then water level and pulling on the anchor chain.

    The efforts were finally rewarded about 0300 in the morning when a sounding showed the depth to be three feet nine inches.  The skipper went to the helm and fired up the port engine and she started and ran fine.  Good.  Then he bumped the throttle forward and the boat rocked and jerked forward.  Good again.  The skipper then started the starboard engine and bumped both throttles forward.  The boat rocked and lunged forward ever so slightly.  After bumping the throttles forward three more times, the boat finally broke completely free of the mud.

    The skipper and Admiral then managed to get the anchor back onboard and they slowly moved into deeper waters while trying to dodge the landmine of crab pots that they now found themselves surrounded by.  The crew managed to navigate the crab pot field and finally found an area they could reset the anchor.

    Then it was back to bed to get some well needed rest.  That was not to be either though.  At 0400, the first commercial fisherman started heading out to begin their work day.  Before the sun came up a little after 0600, at least a dozen fisherman in large boats with even larger wakes passed the boat.  The crew did not get much sleep the whole night.

    The scene of the crime so to speak.  The boat was between the crab pots and that white seawall and rocks.

    80

    Friday, July 14, 2017

    In the mornings, the skipper usually reads the AGLCA Forum.  This morning someone posted about the three H’s on the Chesapeake Bay this time of year: hazy, hot, and humid interrupted by 100 mph winds during thunderstorms.  Well the crew certainly experienced that last night.

    The plan was to head over to St Mary’s City to visit the historic area and end the day with a concert in the park.  However, St Mary’s does not have a dock so one must anchor out and dinghy in to visit the town.  After the misery of last night, and the weather predicted to be in the high 90’s with greater than 88% humidity the crew decided to pass St Mary’s City and push further north where they could find some A/C.

    The cruise across the mouth of the Potomac River was rough, but after the crew got to the north shore of the river the waves calmed down.

    57 Potomac River convergence with Bay

    With winds out of the west-southwest, the crew had following seas with one foot swells pushing them all the way to Solomons.

    The Point No Point Light out in the Bay.

    58 Point No Point Lighthouse

    Upon arrival at Solomons they witnessed a large fleet of sailboats racing.  The skipper counted 35 boats in the race.  However, they were glad to finally get off the Bay and into Solomons.

    60

    After getting tied up and secured along the dock, the skipper got the shore power hooked up and the A/C units running.  The power kept tripping on the marina power pole so the skipper finally hooked the shore power cable to a different shore pedestal and they have had no further issues.

    Because of the heat and humidity, the storms rolled through again.  The good news is that it cooled things off a bit.  The boat A/C units were struggling to bring down the temps inside the boat.

    Saturday, July 15, 2016, 2017

    The sailboat race that the crew witnessed yesterday continued on Saturday.  The sailboats were all headed out to the Bay the same time our crew was leaving.  There was energy and excitement in the air as the sail boaters were maneuvering to the start line.

    64

    After weaving and dodging sailboats the crew got back in the open Bay.  They stayed a mile or so off shore which gave a smooth ride due to the northwest winds.  The wind did not have a chance to kick up any large waves.

    65 Leaving Patuxent River

    This guy is living on the edge.

    67

    Cruising past the Point Cove Lighthouse.

    68 Cove Point Lighthouse

    The famous Calvert Cliffs along the western shore.

    69 Calvert Cliffs

    Upon arrival at Herring Bay, there was another large crop of sailboats out in the water.  The skipper had to slow to negotiate around all the Saturday Sail boaters.  This shot is of the boats coming and going out of Herington Harbour.

    71 enter Herrington Harbour North

    The marina is one of the nicest the crew has stayed at on this adventure.  The crew enjoyed a complimentary showing of Beauty and the Beast last night on the marina grounds.

    Boat Name of the Week

     72

    Next Week –

    The crew has a couple of more stops planned in the upper Chesapeake Bay before crossing the C&D Canal over to the Delaware Bay.  They hope to make Cape May by next weekend, if the weather cooperates.

    Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

    Eric the Red

  • Naked Man and Peeping Mermaid

    Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

    Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

    Who knew that Mary Kay gave out pink boats as well as cars?  A sport fisher in Norfolk with two men onboard, go figure.

    20.JPG

    Summary of week:

    Yorktown

    The crew left Belhaven on Monday and went to the Alligator River Marina to stage for the Albemarle Sound.  Tuesday found our crew anchored in Blackwater Creek.  On Wednesday they made the short run to the Top Rack Marina near Chesapeake and decided to stay two nights.  On Friday the crew went to Hampton to explore Fort Monroe.  They ended the week at Wormley Creek Marina on the York River,

    Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log.

    Still Waters II VIMEO site

    At the Box Office, this week is a video tour of the run thru the Virginia Cut, a few bridge openings along the route, and locking thru at the Great Bridge Lock.

    Virginia Cut from Still Waters II on Vimeo.

    Click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site.

    Sunday, July 2, 2017

    The skipper likes to say that “No job is as easy as it looks.”  This was true today when he went to replace the alternator belt on the starboard main engine.  The belt had broken while travelling to Belhaven.  The skipper had a spare belt for such an occasion so he broke out the new belt and climbed down into the engine room to find that he would have to remove the raw water cooling pump belt to install the alternator belt.  Bummer!

    IMG_0309, Belhaven
    Belhaven ready for the 4th

    After several minutes of looking at the engine and trying to figure out how to remove the raw water cooling pump belt, the skipper climbed out of the engine room and found his ‘smart book’ on these Caterpillar engines.  After reading for a while, the skipper finally found the section on removing the belt.

    He climbed back down into the engine room to discover he could barely see and reach the bolts he needed to loosen to remove the belt.  The skipper began his boat yoga routine and managed to squeeze into an area where he could loosen the three bolts.

    IMG_0312, Belhaven

    From there he had to wiggle back out of the space and climb out of the engine room, and then climb back down into another hatch in the engine room.  After more boat yoga, the alternator belt was installed and tightened.

    The skipper decided to squirm around and see if he could get in a position to install and tighten the raw water cooling pump belt.  He managed to get between the fire extinguisher and the generator and complete the task.  Somehow, he managed to get out of the tight space and climb out of the engine room for the last time today.

    Not bad, that thirty minute task only took three hours.

    IMG_0313, Belhaven

    Later in the afternoon the Admiral noticed the crew of Lacuna entering the beak water and heading down towards the Belhaven free dock.  The skipper and Admiral jumped in a golf cart and drove down to see Mike and Jen.  However, our crew could not find where Lacuna had landed.  Our crew went back to their boat and noticed that Lacuna had posted their location in ‘Meets’ on the AGLCA App .

    IMG_0310, Lacuna
    Lacuna

    Our crew took the golf cart back down the water front and saw Lacuna motoring back up the river.  Then they stopped and turned around.  Next, they dropped anchor.  Our crew decided that it just was not meant to be to see Mike and Jen today.

    About an hour after returning to Still Waters II, our crew heard a knock on the boat.  The skipper looked out and saw Mike and Jen standing on the dock.  They had taken their dinghy over to Still Waters II.

    The two crews sat around and shared stories of their Loop adventures.  Most interesting was Mike discussing Lobster and Conch gathering while they were in the Bahamas.

    Monday, July 3, 2017

    The skipper had begun to notice over the last two weeks that the starboard engine seemed to be using twice as much fuel as the port engine during their runs.  This was a bit of concern so the skipper set about to try and figure out what the problem could be.

    Yesterday, while performing boat yoga in the engine room, he noticed a fuel cross-connect valve partially opened.  He closed the valve.  On todays run the skipper monitored the fuel tank levels closely and all seems to be working properly again.  Both engines used the same amount of fuel today.  The valve miss-position was allowing fuel from the starboard tank to recycle back into the port tank.

    IMG_0325, Hyrrophilic
    Crew of the Hydrophilic on their way back home in Wilmington

    The valve must have got bumped open by a bucket getting tossed around when in bad seas.  The skipper has locked the two cross-connect valves shut to prevent reoccurrence.  He is also moving the bucket.

    IMG_0326
    Skipper spotted these three in the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal.  The fawn still has spots.

    The days cruise was hot and muggy.  The temps rose into the low 90’s with an 88% humidity.  With practically no wind, this made for one long miserable hot cruise.  Rather than anchor out as planned, the skipper secured a slip at the Alligator River Marina.  Once docked and the shore power cable breaker closed, the skipper turned on the air conditioners.

     

    v Alligator Marina
    Late afternoon storm clouds and wind building

     

    Then they walked over to the Shell Station and had a wonderful, never frozen, fresh ground meat hamburger.

    IMG_0336, stm95
    About mile 337 in the Alligator River

    Tuesday, July 4, 2017

    Today, the crew cruised 57-miles and arrived in Virginia.

    1 entered Virginia.JPG

    The sail across the Albemarle Sound was pleasant but the visual of the naked man standing up sailing his boat was too much for the skipper to take.  The Admiral waved at the guy but did not notice the butt crack because she did not have her contacts in.  That’s her story, and she’s sticking with it.

    The skipper did see this Osprey catch a catfish though.

    IMG_0353

    Then she flew right beside the boat prior to landing in her nest.

    IMG_0357

    Surprisingly, there were not many folks on the water today.  After stopping, lightning and thunderstorms were all around the boat.  Looked as though the lightning was several miles away, but the rolling thunder was deafening.  May be the only fireworks the crew sees tonight.

    Anchored at Blackwater Creek before the storms hit.

    2 stm 30, Anchored in Blackwater Creek

    Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

    The crew did not see a Bald Eagle on the 4th, but the skipper spotted this guy overlooking the waterway as they cruised by on the 5th.

    5 Bald Eagle

    Scenery along the Virginia Cut.

    8 Cypress Swamp

    Looks like the baby Osprey chicks are big enough to start flying lessons.  This chick was getting some last minute coaching before the first attempt.  The chick is probably not listening because it is thinking “you want me to do what?”

    4 Osprey and Chick

    After arrival at the Great Bridge Lock and standing out in the sun for twenty minutes the crew was zapped.  Good thing the marina is only a few miles after the lock so the crew can get in out of the sun and into some A/C.

    Thursday, July 6, 2017

    The crew took a day off from life today and basically just sat around and relaxed, read, and refreshed themselves.  Back to real life and the cruising lifestyle tomorrow.

    Friday, July 7, 2017

    Waiting on a train to cross the railroad bridge so the bridge tender can open the bridge for the crew.

    15

    The skipper did not notice these two tugs come out a side channel.  The Admiral spotted and pointed them out.  The skipper could not figure out where the tugs were going so he finally pulled back on the throttles and slowed to a stop.  The tugs then made a right turn up the river.  The crew followed them for about seven miles thru Portsmouth and Norfolk .

    16

    Still Waters II has been cruising the whole 1095 miles of the Atlantic ICW starting back in Biscayne Bay just south of Miami.  This red marker 36 is mile zero on the ICW in the waters of Norfolk.

    18 stm 0

    After a short but rocky 21-mile cruise, the crew docked at Old Point Comfort Marina in Hampton, VA.  The weather forecast was for 10-17 mph winds with the 17 later in the afternoon.  The crew planned to be in Hampton around noon so they thought they would be secure on the dock before the winds got up.

    Good strategy, poor execution.  As Still Waters II made her way towards Hampton Roads, the winds were kicking up over 20 mph with gusts to 30.  This made for an uncomfortable ride as the 3-foot waves were hitting the beam.

    Met this big boy in Hampton Roads.  He politely told the crew to get out of his way.  The skipper quickly complied with the war vessel instructions.

    21

    After getting tied up, the crew went walking around to explore Fort Monroe.  And can you believe it.  The wind died off to nothing in the afternoon.

    Postern Gate at Fort Monroe, which is the largest stone fort built in the United States.  The Fort was built in 1834.

    23 Fort Monroe

    The moat around Fort Monroe.

    24

    Robert E. Lee was stationed here and lived in Quarters #17.

    29

    30

    Another famous American who served the Confederacy also lived at the Fort in this room.

    31

    32

    St Mary’s Star of the Sea Church was built in 1903 and still has an active congregation.

    34

    Old Point Comfort Lighthouse was constructed in 1802.  It is the oldest continually active lighthouse along the Chesapeake Bay.

    35 Old Point Comfort Lighthouse

    The original Engineer Wharf  was built in 1818 to receive the building materials for the Fort.  It was also the location where the Fort received Jefferson Davis.  Today it is mostly a fishing pier.

    39 The Wharf

    Saturday, July 8, 2016, 2017

    The crew headed out into the Bay to make their way to the York River for the weekend.

    40 Chesapeake Bay

     On the way towards Yorktown the crew crossed paths with this sailboat.

    41 Headed to Yorktown

    The slip at the marina was barely wide enough for Still Waters II so it took the skipper a couple of tries to shoehorn her into the slip.

    The bath house is painted inside and out with art.  The outside has a picture of a commercial vessel named the Yorktown.

    43

    Inside was just a little bit creepy while this mermaid was given the skipper the eye while he was trying to do his business.

    42

    But God painted a beautiful sunset to end the week on.

    45

    Boat Name of the Week

    Still Waters II has been cruising some big water lately and will continue to do so for the next couple of weeks.  The boat can take the heavy seas, the crew not so much.  So this boat name seemed appropriate for the week.

    IMG_0362

    Next Week –

    The crew will move to a boat yard on Monday to have a few electrical issues worked on.  Depending on how long the repairs last will determine how far the crew cruises North on the Chesapeake Bay.

    Loop On –

    The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

    Eric the Red

  • Treasures of Memories

    Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

    Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

    Who knew Pepsi-Cola was born in New Bern and was originally called Brad’s Drink?

    IMG_0291

    IMG_0289

    Summary of week:

    The crew did not venture far on the waterways this week because they spent most of the week on shore excursions with their grandkids.  They spent Sunday exploring New Bern.  They managed a day cruise on Monday afternoon for about 3.5 hours, and a Pirate Cruise on Tuesday out of Beaufort, North Carolina.  On Wednesday, they went to Plymouth to go bear hunting and actually saw four bears.

    The grandkids headed home on Thursday so our crew took a day of rest to recover from all the fun.  On Friday, the crew cruised almost 60-miles and dropped anchor to spend a quite evening on the hook.  Saturday, they made a short 22-mile run to Belhaven and stopped at the River Forest Marina for the weekend.

    New Bern - Belhaven
    Moving north in North Carolina

    To read the day-to-day travel log, click on this link.

    Still Waters II VIMEO site

    At the Box Office this week, is a short video of the pirate crew in training, practicing their sword fighting skills, the battle to secure the treasure, and celebrating the victory.

    Beaufort Pirate Revenge from Still Waters II on Vimeo.

    Sunday, June 25, 2017

    The grandkids arrived early in the morning to the New Bern area after a long two-day drive from Bryan/College Station, Texas.  After everyone (mainly parents) got some needed rest, The Lathers Crew showed up at the boat and the whirlwind began.  The skipper took the crew on a walk around town and the nearby parks.

    While walking in the park and playing Pokémon Go, the skipper noticed the crew of Leap of Faith sitting on a park bench near their boat.  Turns out the bridge only opens at 1600 on Sundays so they had a two hour wait before they could move to the marina.

    IMG_0241
    Colonial Palace

    IMG_0242

    Monday, June 26, 2017

    The skipper took The Lathers Crew out on a day cruise from the marina.  They cruised out about 10 miles and then turned around and headed back to the marina.  The Lathers Crew was fascinated by the bascule bridge opening and were excited beyond delight when they passed an Osprey nest with a mother and chick.

    vacation 1
    Eager anticipation of some of the Lathers Crew

    The skipper was nervous as the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof, but the worry was for naught as The Lathers Crew managed to all make it back to the marina without anyone initiating a man-overboard-drill.  Not many pics of the cruise because the adults were all busy herding the cats, if you know what I mean.

    Tuesday, June 27, 2017

    The Lathers Crew headed to Beaufort for a Pirate Cruise.  After a picnic lunch, it was off to the Maritime Museum where they participated in a scavenger hunt around the museum.  There were over twenty objects they each had to find to earn their reward.

    IMG_0247

    Seems the most popular items were the whale heart and Louie the Rat.  After all items were found they each got a sticker commemorating their success and a sea shell.

    vacation 2
    Scavenger hunters with list

    Next it was time to take part in the Pirate Revenge Adventure.

    IMG_0258
    On the pier prior to adventure
    IMG_0261
    Safety Briefing
    IMG_0269
    Preparing for battle
    vacation 7
    Currently losing the battle
    IMG_0279
    Dividing the spoils of war

    After the hard-fought battle to win the treasure, The Lathers Crew spent their new-found wealth on ice cream.  Well, maybe their Papa Fuller (our skipper) pulled a few George Washington’s out of his pocket and paid for the ice cream because plastic gold coins are not really worth much.  (but don’t tell The Lathers Crew.)

    Wednesday, June 28, 2017

    The Lathers Crew headed to Plymouth to visit the God’s Creation Museum.  When they arrived, they found a new Bear-Ology exhibit about the North Carolina Black Bears.

     

    vacation 6
    Beth doing an excellent job narrating the tour at the museum

     

    They watched a 20-minute film about the bears and then enjoyed the museum exhibits.  The Skipper asked if there was anywhere nearby that they could go and see live bears.

    vacation 3
    In the theatre

    vacation 5

    Beth’s answer was similar to the disclaimer you get from any financial planner, “now I cannot guarantee you will see a bear……. but you might try the Pungo Wildlife Refuge.”

    After the museum tour and the necessary shark tooth fossil dig, The Lathers Crew set off for the Pungo National Wildlife Refuge.

    vacation
    Digging for shark teeth

    While driving around the Refuge, the crew spotted a lone Black Bear.  The Lathers Crew went wild.  Then after driving around some more they came upon another bear, and she had two small cubs.  And yes, the crowd went wild again.  Unfortunately, the skipper did not bring his telephoto lens, so the ‘Kodak Moment’ is not all that great.  But trust me, that is a North Carolina Black Bear and cub.

    vacation 9
    Sow and one of the two cubs

    Thursday, June 29, 2017

    As stated earlier, The Lathers Crew hit the road back towards home early in the morning.  They planned to head south towards Georgia to Amicalola Falls and then on to the Atlanta Aquarium to wrap up their 2017 vacation.  Ahh, to be young again and have endless energy.

     

    vacation 10
    Atlanta Aquarium

     

    Our crew just lazed around all day to rest up from the whirlwind known as The Lathers Crew.

    Friday, June 30, 2017

    Our crew set out to make the 24-miles back to the ICW and then head east towards Belhaven.  After a 58-mile cruise, the crew dropped anchor in the Campbell Creek for the night.

    While performing engine checks following the run, the skipper noticed the alternator belt was broken on the starboard engine.  The skipper decided to rely on the solar panels and replace the belt on Sunday after the engines have a day to cool off.

    IMG_0293, stm 175
    Back on the ICW at mile 175

    Shortly after stopping it began to rain.  When the rain stopped a beautiful rainbow appeared, then a double rainbow appeared.

    IMG_0304, stm 155

    Sharing our anchor spot with these folks on a sailboat.

    IMG_0301, stm 155

    Saturday, July 1, 2017

    After a morning rain shower passed, the crew weighed anchor and made the last 22 miles to Belhaven.  After getting docked with the help of a young dock hand, the dock master showed up and asked the crew to move over to the other side of the pier.  So they backed off the pier, rounded the T-dock, and pulled back up to the pier to get settled.  You can never get enough practice docking in 15 knot winds.

    IMG_0305, stm 150 Pamlico River
    Mile 150 in Pamlico River

    The dock master said there was a 70-footer coming in and he needed that side to park the big boat.  There was also supposed to be four other boats showing up here today.  Looks like the wind and rain have kept them away.  The dock master did say they were ‘fair weather’ boaters and was not surprised by their no-show.

     Boat Name of the Week

    The Scalawag

    IMG_0274

    Next Week –

    The crew will continue their northbound journey towards Norfolk to complete the Atlantic ICW leg of the Loop.

    Loop On –

    The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

    Eric the Red

  • A Bear’y Good Week

    Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

    Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

    20.2

    We had a few more virtual crew members come aboard in the last week.  Welcome aboard Scollier99 and Joshua Duns!!!

    Summary of week:

    The crew left North Myrtle Beach on Monday and docked at Southport at the end of the day.  Tuesday the crew put in a long day and anchored just east of Swansboro in Mile Hammock Bay.  Then the crew pressed on to Morehead City on Wednesday.  The crew took a side trip up to New Bern, the colonial capital of North Carolina, on Thursday.

    newbern

    Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log.

    Still Waters II VIMEO site

    Click on this link to see the weekly Vimeo video.  This week’s video shows a few bridge openings, a helicopter flying overhead, and an Osprey in her nest.

    Sunday, June 18, 2017

    The crew started the day by walking 1.5 miles to a Fuddruckers’s so the skipper could get a ½ LBS Elk Burger to celebrate Father’s Day.  After gorging on burgers and fries, the crew walked back to Barefoot Landing to walk amongst the shops.

    They saw a gator swimming just beneath the boardwalk.  Then a gator sunbathing by a store.

    IMG_1275

    When the evening fell they found a few street performers.  One guy was playing the sax and was very good.  A man on stilts tying balloons for kids of all ages.

    IMG_4697

    Then they found a guy doing a juggling act while sitting atop a seven-foot unicycle.  This guy put on a really good show with audience participation.

    FullSizeRender

     

    Monday, June 19, 2017

    This was a very non-descript cruise until the last ten miles.  Really not much to report.  But leaving North Myrtle Beach always requires the utmost in situational awareness as the helmsmen navigates the ‘Rock Pile.’

    However, at about mile 315 a large blue boat overtook Still Waters II.

    07

    The owners of the blue boat, Another Bubble, turned out to be Cathy and Glen.  Who just happen to be the parents of a young man named Brandon.  Who just happens to own Sweetwater Landing.  Which just happens to be the marina where our crew started and crossed their wake on the Great Loop.

    The Admiral and skipper first met Cathy and Glen in Norfolk in May 2015.  They last saw them in June 2015 at Sweetwater Landing where they were helping Brandon with some work around the marina.  It was a pleasant surprise to see and talk with them on the water.

    About this same time the wind decided to kick it up a notch or two to 18 knot winds.  Just in time for the crew to dock.  Upon arrival, the skipper just turned the boat parallel with the dock and let the wind blow the boat up against the dock.

    After docking, it was time to go walk the town done to see what this place is all about.  After walking around a bit, the crew decided that they had actually been here before.  The skipper came here back in the early 2000’s to assist another nuclear power plant with some work control issues.  The Admiral had also accompanied him on the business trip.

     

    7.4 Pilot house lookout
    The river pilot lookout station

     

    While walking down the river walk, they read about a man who was a Cape Fear River pilot that helped smuggle confederate goods to Wilmington during the Civil War.  These waters leading into Cape Fear have sunk more than their fair share of ships, so a knowledgeable pilot is a good thing when carrying commercial cargo.  Pilots are still used to this day.

     

    7.1 TM Thompson house, River Pilot Southport
    River pilot T.M. Thompson’s home overlooking the inlet

     

    Amazing enough, the pilots were paid $3,000 in gold per transit back in the Civil War days because not only did they have to negotiate the hazardous shoals, they also had to bust thru the Union Blockade that was established to prevent goods from making it into the southern states.  T.M. Thompson made 34 successful runs in three years during the Civil War.  After the war, the fee for a river pilot dropped down to $200 per transit.

    Tuesday, June 20, 2017

     

    7.3 Southport
    Leaving Southport

     

    Cruised in the rain most of the day so not really much to report.  The below pic was taken during some slack rain when the skipper could actually see out the front.  He ran with the radar on most of the day practicing piloting the boat in low visibility.

    7.7 stm 290

    After stopping at Mile Hammock Bay to anchor, a helicopter buzzed around the bay until nightfall.  The crew thought he was gone for good when it appeared he had left.  Unfortunately, sometime in the middle of the night he showed back up and buzzed the boat a few times, waking everyone on board.

    Wednesday, June 21, 2017

    When leaving the anchorage the crew ran down a long stretch of water that is surrounded by Camp Lejeune.  When passing this sign on the water, the lights were off so the skipper continued north along the waterway.

     

    15 stm 240 Onslow Beach
    Mile 240 on the Atlantic ICW

     

    However, the marines must have been practicing some artillery drills because the booms , bangs, and percussion sound blasts were vibrating the boat for the next twenty miles.

    The crew pressed on though because they had there sights set on a dock and dine experience in Swansboro.  Back when our crew left Jacksonville, the crew of Miss My Money recommended a restaurant in Swansboro to stop at and try their peach fritters.

     

    17 Swansboro
    Headed to the dock in Swansboro

     

    Our crew arrived in Swansboro and docked at the free town dock.  From the dock, it was a short three-minute walk to Yana’s to try the peach fritters.  The fritters were exceptional.  This might just be the best desert on the Great Loop, even better than Canadian Butter Tarts.

    IMG_4742

    The Admiral walked in a few of the shops on the way back to the boat.  After shoving off from the dock the skipper noted that they had spent about two hours in town.  They will add this stop to future  passages thru the area.

    After the pit stop at Yana’s, the crew headed for Morehead City where they docked for the evening.  The boat they shared the dock with dwarfed Still Waters II.

    20 Portside Marina

    Thursday, June , 2017

    The crew got underway and were passing under the Morehead City/Beaufort Bridge when a tow backed out of a side channel.  The skipper had to stop and back up to prevent getting hit.  The skipper does not think the tow captain saw Still Waters II before backing out.  The tow did not blow his horn either to warn he was backing out.  Good news though, no collision, just a near miss.

    21 Moorehead City

    The crew ended up following the tow for around twenty miles thru Core Creek and Adams Creek.  When the tow reached the Neuse River, she turned right and our crew turned left to head to New Bern.

    25 stm 187, Neuse River

    A close-up of that shrimp boat to see all the birds swarming around.

    26

    After another twenty-four miles on the Neuse River, the crew docked at the Grand Marina and Yacht Club to begin their exploration of the town.

    Friday, June 23 , 2017 – Saturday, June 24 , 2016, 2017

    New Bern was settled in 1710 by Swiss and German immigrants.  The leader of these folks was from Bern, Switzerland so he named the town after his hometown.

    48

    New Bern is the second-oldest colonial town in North Carolina and has served as the capital of both the colonial government and the state.

    The word Bern is Swiss for Bear and bears are the towns mascot.  In 2010, as part of the 300th birthday celebration, a public art display of bears was commissioned.  There are over 50 bears around town, many of them in the historic district near the water front.  Some of the bears the crew has found while exploring the area:

     

    44
    Black Bear’d the Pirate

     

     

    35
    Sailor Bear

     

     

    36
    Farmer Market Bear

     

     

    37
    Emma’s cruising days have come to an end

     

    The skipper and Emma have also started on the Pokémon Adventure.  They have been hunting Pokémon all over the Historic District.

    FullSizeRender

    IMG_4788

     

    Boat Name of the Week

    Not sure what the name of this boat means but liked that it hailed from Fort Worth, Texas.  Saw the boat as the crew entered New Bern Grand Marina.

     

    27

    Next Week –

    The crew will sit in New Bern until Thursday.  The parents and siblings of Emma will arrive on Sunday and spend a few days before heading back to Texas on Thursday.  The crew will then set sail back to the ICW and continue north towards Norfolk.

    Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

    Eric the Red

  • Boys Being Boys

    Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

    Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

    20 Dawho River

    We picked up another virtual crew member this week.  Welcome aboard olekautoindigo!!

    Summary of week:

    The crew spent Sunday enjoying Savannah, then shoved off Monday morning for Beaufort, South Carolina.  Wednesday the crew was underway again and spent the next two days cruising and anchoring out.  On Friday, the boat pulled into Harbor Walk Marina in Georgetown.  Saturday, the crew set sail for Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

    Week of June 11

    To read the day-to-day travel log, click on the link.

    Still Waters II VIMEO site

    To view video of big ships leaving Savannah, an excited young girl watching dolphins in the bow wake, and cruising the Waccamaw River Cypress Swamp, click on this link.

    Sunday, June 11, 2017

    As you may recall, on Saturday the skipper gave Kim W. and Kelly F. a boat ride to The Westin in Savannah.  Kim was attending the Nuclear Energy Institute Emergency Preparedness Training.  Kelly was just on vacation to enjoy Savannah.  There were several other colleagues of the skipper’s from around the country also at the conference.

     

    IMG_1978
    The skipper (left) and Tim E.

     

    Tim E. from Wolf Creek came by and toured the boat.  Steve S. from Beaver Valley also stopped by and took a short tour.  The skipper also talked with Kelly G. of San Onofre.  Small world when people you worked with about ten years ago all converge at the same location at the same time.  The skipper enjoyed seeing and talking with them all.

    And what is a trip to Savannah without a visit to the Candy Store

    IMG_1974

    and Ice Creamery.

    90

    Monday, June 12, 2017

    As the crew was shoving off the dock at The Westin, they noticed Kelly F. setting up for the day by one of the hammocks next to the swimming pool.  As the crew passed by, they all waved good bye.

    There were several large ships coming and going into Savannah so the skipper had to focus on piloting the boat back the eight miles to the ICW.  They were greeted by this pelican when they finally made the turn and entered South Carolina.

    1 stm 575

    The crew came across this bunch of young sailors learning to sail.  However, one of them either was not having a good time or believed the lesson was beneath him.  When the crew got to the bridge you see in the background, there was one young wolf leaving the pack and sailing back to town.  One of the instructors in a motored dinghy finally noticed someone was missing and found the youngster at the bridge.  The instructor towed the lone wolf back to the pack.

    4 stm 558 HHI

    Jet skiers are always fun.  They like to jump the boat wake so they circle the boat like Indians circling a wagon train.  They come awful close to the boat sometimes, and so far, no one has falling off in front of the boat.  This groups hour of fun on the water must be over because they are following the leader back to the marina after waking the crew for about an hour now.  Ay yes, back to some calm cruising.

    5 stm 558 HHI

    The crew pulled into the Downtown Marina in Beaufort for two nights.

     

    7 540 Beaufort, SC

    Tuesday, June 13, 2017

    After walking around town for a bit the crew found the local ice cream store and sampled the merchandise.  The ice cream was homemade but still not as good as Kawartha in Canada.

    83.JPG

    Geocaching took the crew over to an area where the town Carriage Tours depart.  While the skipper was logging his latest ‘find’, the carriage driver asked Emma if she wanted to feed his horse.  She walked up and got to feed Max four carrot bites.

    IMG_1977

    The last adventure of the day took the crew about a mile from the waterfront.  The marina goody bag had a coupon for free chocolate sand dollars, one per customer.  The coupon turned out to be a bit misleading.  The picture of the chocolate sand dollar on the coupon was about three inches in diameter.  In reality, the sand dollar was about the size of a quarter.  The peanut butter fudge was not all that good either.  I know this to be true because it took the skipper almost all week to finish off the fudge.  If it was good, that half pound of fudge would not have survived the first day.

    Wednesday, June 14, 2017

    The cruise on Wednesday started out calm but overcast as can be seen in this photo taken at mile marker 530 in Brickyard Creek.
    8 stm 530

    There were also several small boats out checking their crab pots.

    10 stm 530

    The crew also spotted a few Bald Eagles.  It has been a while since they had seen any Eagles.

    There were also many dolphins out playing today.  In the Ashepoo River, several dolphins surfaced and came towards the bow.  When Emma went out and looked over the side she could see two dolphins surfing in the bow wake.  She was pretty excited.

    15 Dolphin Watch

    The cruise continued thru the miles and miles of salt marsh.

    18 Hutchinson Island

    The crew dropped anchor at mile 487 in Church Creek near low tide.  A pod of dolphins swam nearby and then a couple of them swam up into the shallow water.  They would roll around in the shallow water.  Looked like they were trying to use the mud to get a back scratch.

    23 Church Creek
    Can you see the white of the dolphin’s belly?

     

    Emma was a bit nervous about anchoring out.  But after watching the dolphins play in the mud she relaxed and enjoyed the peace and serenity.

     

    Thursday, June 15, 2017

    The crew weighed anchor and made way towards Charleston.  As they approached the city marina they saw another flotilla of young sailors.  The lesson must have been over because they were all getting towed back to the marina.

    31 learning to sail in Charleston

    There was a large tour boat dropping off visitors to Fort Sumner as the crew passed by.

    32 Ft Sumter

    And yes, once north of Charleston the salt marsh continued.

    34 stm 460 Atlantic under bridge

    When the crew arrived at the designated anchor spot for the night a thunderstorm was building.  The crew decided to press on in the rain rather than anchor in the down pour.  Ten miles later the rain let up so the crew waited for this shrimp boat to pass out of the creek so they could go anchor in Five Fathom Creek.

    38 Shrimp boat in Town Creek

     

    Friday, June 16, 2017

    The crew weighed anchor and made way towards Georgetown.  The run was only 30 miles so the crew arrived about the noon hour and had plenty of time to walk around and explore the town.

    On the way to the marina though, the skipper spotted eight gators feeding along the shore line.  Interesting enough, the gators were all seen within a mile of Alligator Creek.

    40 gator near Alligator Creek

    After arrival at the marina, the crew went to the Visitor Center.  The town has over 60 Antebellum homes that have survived the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.  Very unusual for a thriving coastal town because the British did their best to destroy the port towns of early America.  Georgetown managed to survive the Civil War without being burned down as many of the other port towns.

    45 Visitor Center

    The home across the street from the Visitor Center once housed the governor of South Carolina and his wife Theodosia.  After her ten-year-old son died in the fall of 1811 she was suffering from grief and depression.  Her father had just returned from four years in Europe, so she decided to sail to New York City to visit her dad.  Because her husband was governor and head of the state militia, he was not allowed to leave the state during the War of 1812.

     

    46 Circa 1775
    Theodosia’s house circa 1775

     

    On December 31, 1812, Theodosia set sail for New York aboard the schooner Patriot.  The Patriot never arrived in New York and none of those on board were ever heard from again.  Rumors and folklore around the disappearance sprung up almost immediately:

    – deathbed confessions of two different pirates claimed that pirates scuttled the ship and killed everyone on board

    –  some believed that the Carolina ‘bankers’ lured the ship into the bank and killed everyone

    – some believed that the ship was lost at sea in huge hurricane force winds Jan 2-3, 2013

    The father she went to visit was none other than Aaron Burr, the third V.P. of the United States.   But he is probably more famous for his killing of Alexander Hamilton during their infamous duel.

    Other older homes and pics of Georgetown.

     

    47 Circa 1903
    New kid on the block, circa 1910

     

     

    48 Circa 1750
    Circa1750

     

     

    49 Colonial Bank Circa 1735
    Colonial Bank, Circa 1735

     

     

     

    88
    Ice Cream Store, Circa 2017

     

    Saturday, June 10, 2016, 2017

    The crew shoved off from the dock and headed toward North Myrtle Beach where they would stop at Barefoot Landing for the weekend.  The run up to North Myrtle Beach is mostly on the Waccamaw River which leaves the salt marshes behind and navigates thru a cypress swamp.

    61

    The crew saw many birds along the shores and in their nests.

    67

    68

    70

    As the boat approached a bridge near Myrtle Beach, the crew saw a couple of young fellas sitting on the bridge fenders.

    72 stm 360

    Yes, that is a No Trespassing sign.

    The Admiral shouted words of encouragement to jump in the water………………. and so they did.

     73

     

    74

    75

    76

    Yes, boys will be boys.

    Boat Name of the Week

     29

    Next Week –

    The crew will leave Barefoot Landing on Monday and head towards New Bern, North Carolina.  They plan to stop in Southport and anchor out along the way.

    Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

    Eric the Red

  • A Crazy Two Weeks

    Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

    Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.  This update will also include the road trip to OKC where the crew got caught in a traffic jam that resulted in an overnight stay on I22.

    Lastly, since my last update, Jay S. has joined on as a virtual crew member.  Welcome aboard and enjoy the cruise Jay!

    69 St Simons Sound
    Dolphin off the bow of boat

    Summary of week:

    The crew departed Jekyll Island and made a two-day run to the Isle of Hope Marina in the suburbs of Savannah.  The crew then took a road trip to Oklahoma City to watch the Women’s College World Series.   On the return trip to the boat they picked up a granddaughter who will cruise with them for a couple of weeks.  On Saturday, they picked up some friends from the Savannah airport and made an afternoon cruise to downtown Savannah.

    70 St Simons Sound

     Sunday, May 28, 2017

    The crew departed Jekyll Island and headed further north along the ICW.  It is only about 100 miles to Savannah from here so the crew plans to split the trip into about a 55-mile run and a 45-mile run.

    There is very little between Jekyll Island and Savannah but miles and miles of Georgia salt marsh.  The crew saw very few other boaters out on the water.

    71 STM 665 Mackay River, GA
    Lots of Salt Marsh in the Low Country

    The crew did follow a conversation over the radio between a recreational boater and the Coast Guard.  The boater ran out of gas and was looking for the Coast Guard to deliver some fuel.  The Coast Guard only helps boaters in distress, such as a boat actually sinking.  The Coast Guard asks tons of questions on their one-size-fits-all checklist and then tells the ‘not in distress’ per Coast Guard standards boater to call a commercial tow company such as Boat US or Sea Tow for help.

    79 STM 635
    Crossing the St Simmons Sound

    After a good day of cruising the crew pulled up in the Wahoo River to anchor.  This was the first anchor stop since the boat repairs.  When they went to deploy the anchor, ………, well nothing happened.  The skipper checked under the helm for any loose wires, found one, plugged the wire back in, and still no anchor power.  The skipper then jumped down in the engine room and found the anchor switch turned off.  Turned the switch to ‘on’ and the anchor windlass began to work.  Imagine that.

    80 STM 630 Anchored in Wahoo River
    Anchored in Wahoo River

    This was a nice place to anchor except the huge flies that decided to buzz the boat.  The flies got so bad that the crew had to retreat from the sundeck and go inside the boat.  Unfortunately, when the sun went down the wind died down also.  This was one hot night with temperatures only falling to 72 just before daybreak.

    Monday, May 29, 2017

    Another beautiful warm day to cruise.  The good days far outnumber the bad days, but the brain only seems to remember the bad days where there was some kind of ordeal to overcome.  Luckily our crew has not had many bad days on the water.

    83 STM 610 Bear River
    STM 610, more salt marsh

    Again, there were not many folks on the water until the crew approached the marina on the outskirts of Savannah.  Then the boating traffic significantly picked up.

    The Coast Guard had their hands full today though.  They dealt with another boater who ran out of fuel and a boater who ran hard aground.  Once again, the Coast Guard asked all their questions and then suggested the boaters call a commercial tow service.

    86 STM 600 Green Island
    Skipper spotted this wild hog out in the marsh

    With more people on the water there were many folks using Channel 16 to just chat which is a big no-no.  The crew is in the Charleston Sector for Coast Guard response.  The Charleston Sector has a very short fuse when it comes to this inappropriate radio use.

    The Coast Guard was constantly broadcasting a message that basically said “Channel 16 is for emergency and hailing purposes only.  Boaters using channel 16 should switch to a working channel.  Boaters using channel 16 for routine communications disrupts the Coast Guards ability to receive emergency calls.  This is Charleston Sector monitoring and recording Channel 16. Over”

    90 STM 693
    People enjoying Memorial Day

    It seemed like someone would get on the radio and misuse channel 16 every few minutes or so.  This would cause the Coast Guard to parrot their above message, yet again.

    The skipper thought about, but did not act on this thought.  Make an announcement on Channel 16 following the Coast Guard parrot message such as, “the Coast Guard repeating this long message every 5 minutes prevents the Coast Guard from receiving emergency messages. Over”

    89 STM 593 Skidaway Narrows Bridge
    Skidaway Bridge traffic jam

    The crew just continued to monitor channel 16 as they motored on to the marina.  The crew safely docked and secured the boat at the Isle of Hope Marina to end a wonderful uneventful Memorial Day cruise.

    Tuesday, May 30, 2017

    The crew rented a car and started towards Oklahoma City.  The drive was going fine until 2215, about 30 miles south of Memphis.  All of a sudden there was nothing but red brake lights as the traffic came to a halt.  After about 30 minutes, the traffic in the opposite direction was also stopped.  After an hour, a medical helicopter landed, then left after another 30 minutes.

    The skipper thought that the traffic would start moving after the helicopter took off, but an hour later there was still no movement on the highway.  As 0100 came and went motorists began making themselves comfortable for the night in their cars.  The truck drivers all disappeared from their cabs and made themselves comfortable in their sleeper cabins.

    At 0500, the skipper woke up so he decided to take the mile stroll to the blinking lights to get a firsthand look at what was going on.  When he arrived at the road block, he found three police vehicles blocking all the traffic lanes and shoulder.  He also noticed the smell of asphalt.  On closer inspection, he noticed that the road crew had cut about a twenty-yard-wide section out of the road, shoulder-to-shoulder.  The road crew had laid new asphalt and were now in the process of rolling and compacting the new road surface.

    The skipper walked back to the car and within twenty minutes he noticed the blinking lights were all off.  He then realized that some vehicles were actually moving up ahead.  Only problem now was that most of the folks were all still sleeping in their vehicles.  The skipper managed to back out between a few cars and an 18-wheeler and get over on the shoulder.  He then followed a Fed Ex truck up and out of the maze of cars on the highway.  The Fed Ex truck was also blowing his horn as he passed the sleeping motorists and fellow truck drivers.

    All-in-all this was one of the most bizarre nights ever on a highway.

     Thursday, June 1 thru Tuesday, June 6, 2017

    The crew spent most of the time watching the softball games to determine the College Division 1 Champion.  The 2017 champs turned out to be the University of Oklahoma.

    The crew also spent quality time with their softball family.

    IMG_4467
    Softball in OKC

    Wednesday, June 7 thru Friday June 9, 2017

    The crew made a trip south to go pick up one of their granddaughters from Bryan/College Station and then headed east back to the boat.

    Just west of Baton Rouge, the crew once again ran smack dab up on an all stop traffic accident.  An 18-Wheeler had gone off the road and was laying on its side in the trees.  This time the crew managed a whole six miles in two hours before clearing the accident scene and getting back up to cruising speed.

    This resulted in a 0200 arrival back at the Isle of Hope Marina.  Friday was spent making the boat ready for the next leg of the journey north.

    Saturday, June 10, 2016, 2017

    The skipper was scrambling a bit on Saturday morning to make final arrangements for the day’s activities.  He needed to go to the Savannah International Airport to pick up two friends who were scheduled to land at 1045 a.m.  He also needed to return the rental car to Enterprise before the office closed at noon.

    After returning the rental car, he used the marina loaner car to make the run to the airport.  The friends plane was on time and he managed to arrive at the airport within ten minutes of the guests getting their bags at baggage claim.  The skipper and guests returned to the marina where they put their luggage on the sundeck.  The Admiral had a large lunch spread waiting for them so they took the time to eat lunch before shoving off the dock.

    IMG_4515
    Kelly and Kim  in Savannah

    The run was enjoyable as the crew and three guests made the three-hour run to downtown Savannah by boat.  Upon arrival in the Savannah River, the crew met a large commercial ship that was making 12 knots.  The large ship overtook Still Waters II in no time.

    IMG_0002

    Then a dinner riverboat arrived up ahead as the crew continued to push towards Savannah.  They cruised by Old Fort Jackson and then over to the Waving Girl Monument before crossing the River and docking at The Westin Savannah Harbor Marina.  Two of the guests are staying at the Westin while Kim attends the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Emergency Preparedness Conference.

    IMG_0003

     

    IMG_1968
    Skipper, Kelly, Kim, Tim, and Emma

    When the crew and guests were about to board the water taxi to cross the river to find a restaurant to eat at, Kelly noticed Tim E. also waiting in line for the taxi.  The skipper went up to Tim to say hello and before you know it Tim had invited himself to dinner with the group of five.  Well, maybe it was actually the other way around, the skipper invited the group of five to join Tim.  Either way, it was great fun spending time with Tim.

     

     

     

     

     

     Next Week –

    The crew plans to leave Savannah on Monday and hope to make Myrtle Beach at Barefoot Landing by the weekend.  The skipper said something about an Elk Burger with his name on it at Fuddruckers’s.

    Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

    Eric the Red

  • Cruising Georgia

    Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

    Eric here welcoming you back onboard.  After a six-week repair stay at the Huckins Yacht Center, the crew has finally set sail and is back on the Atlantic Intra Costal Waterway (ICW).

    47 Atlantic Ocean
    Looking out at Atlantic Ocean from Jekyll Island

    During the repair work, a few adventurous folks signed up to be virtual crew members, so a special Welcome Aboard to:

    Master Chef Jacob

    Simple Ula

    Bert251

    Summary of week:

    The crew left the Ortega River and made their way to the AICW at the Jacksonville free dock.  They then made a run to St Mary’s where they stayed two days.  Then made a run to Jekyll Island for the weekend.

    Still Waters II VIMEO site

    There are two new videos:

    Haul Out which shows Still Waters II getting hauled out of the water at Huckins Boat Yard to start her maintenance and repairs.

    Bike Ride Jekyll Island which shows about 12 minutes of the skipper’s two hour bike ride around Jekyll Island bike paths

    Monday, May 22, 2017

    Before departing Huckins, the crew decided to have breakfast over at the Metro.  The crew was accompanied by Rob and Glenda of the motor vessel Monterey.  After a nice breakfast the crew shoved off and started the 26-mile voyage on the St. John’s River back to the Atlantic Inter Costal Waterway.

    20 Huckins
    Leaving Huckins Boat Yard

    When the crew shoved off they immediately ran into two delays.

    21 RR BridgeThe first was the railroad bridge was down and they had to wait for one passenger train and then one commercial train to pass before the bridge tender opened the bridge.

     

     

     

    22 Ortega River BridgeThen when the crew arrived at the Ortega River Bridge a few minutes later, they found the bridge out of service and some maintenance hands working on the bridge.  After about 30 minutes, the work crew finished and allowed the bridge tender to open the bridge.  This 26-mile run might take all day if this keeps up.

    Even with the delays, the crew timed the tides just about perfect and got to ride a 2-3 mph current all the way to the ICW.  The dolphins were also out in force this fine day.  There was pod after pod after pod of dolphins the whole route.  One energetic dolphin even decided to show off a little by jumping completely out of the water two times.  The dolphins are always exciting to watch.

    23 Container Ship

    When the crew arrived at the ICW juncture there was a fairly large container ship approaching and the skipper initially decided to cross in front of the behemoth ship and turn north up Sisters Creek on the ICW.  The big ship sounded one blast on their horn, signaling the skipper not to cross and steer to starboard.

    The skipper obeyed the horn signal and allowed the container ship to pass by on the port side before turning to port and heading up the ICW.  That was probably a smarter decision than trying to cross in front of that fully loaded ship travelling at 12 mph.

    Since my last post there have been two Looper boats lost.

    67 Boat Ffire

    One boat caught fire while underway and burned all the way to the water line.  The second boat was tied along a dock just south of Norfolk and was rammed in the middle of the night by a tow boat.  Though both boats were total losses, miraculously no-one was hurt.  But as the ole saying goes, things tend to happen in threes, so this is not a good time to be taking chances.

    After getting tied down, thunderstorms rolled thru the area and the rain washed the boat down good.  She was in need of a major bath after being in the boat yard for six weeks.

    25 Low Tide Jax Free Dock
    The view from Jax Free Dock

    After the storms blew themselves out, Dave and Barbara of Miss My Money surprised the crew with one final goodbye.  The crew has had many great moments with Dave and Barbara over the last six weeks.  Thanks for the hospitality!!

    Tuesday, May 23, 2017

    The crew has visited Fernandina twice, so the skipper decided to skip the port this time and go five miles further to St Mary’s.  Aiding this decision is the fact that the Fernandina Marina got hit pretty hard by hurricane Matthew and has not fully opened back up for business for transient boaters.

    32 Fernandina Beach

    A few boats are still scattered about the area.

    After arriving at east Lang’s Marina, the crew took a walk around town.  The Cumberland Island Visitor Center is on the waterfront in St Mary’s so the crew stepped in to visit.  A ferry runs from the Visitor Center to Cumberland Island. The ferry is the only access to the Island.

    37 Dungenesse
    Dungeness Ruins

    One interesting story line on the Island has to do with some ruins named Dungeness.  James Oglethorpe built a hunting lodge in 1736 on the Island and named the lodge Dungeness.  After the Revolutionary War, Nathanael Greene acquired 11,000 acres of island land and started a home on the original hunting lodge site.  He died before the home was completed, but his widow completed the four-story home in 1803 and named it Dungeness.

    In 1818 Henry Lee, father of Robert E. Lee, came to visit the home and died there on March 25, 1818.  Henry Lee was buried on the island with full military honors due to his heroics during the Revolutionary War.

    The home was abandoned during the Civil War and burned in 1866.

    During the 1880’s, Thomas M. Carnegie, brother of Andrew Carnegie, bought the land and started a third home on the original site.  This home would be a 59-room Queen Anne style mansion.  Like his predecessor, Thomas died before the project was complete.  His widow completed the mansion in 1886 and named it Dungeness.  In addition to her mansion, she built other estates for her children, including: Greyfield, Plum Orchard, and Stafford.

    35 Cumberland Island
    Horses on Cumberland Island

    The Carnegies abandoned Dungeness in 1925, and in 1959 the Dungeness mansion was destroyed by fire. De je vous, all over again.

    After returning to the boat, the Admiral noticed a motor yacht towing a sailboat to the west Lang’s Marina.  She brought the curious event to the attention of the skipper.  After observing the motor yacht help get the sailboat tied to the pier, the crew went about their own business and did not give the incident any further thought.

    Wednesday, May 24, 2017

    st-marys-submarine-museumThe crew spent most of the day taking cover onboard Still Waters II.  Storms started early in the morning and did not let up until late in the afternoon.  After the rain stopped the skipper did manage to go visit the Submarine Museum in town.  The downstairs portion of the museum has a working periscope that patrons can look out and see boats on the St Mary’s River.

    The downstairs section covers the history of submarines up to the modern diesel boats.  The upstairs is dedicated to nuclear submarines.  Half the area is for fast attack subs, and the other half is for ballistic submarines.  The skipper enjoyed finding several items of memorabilia from the USS Permit SSN-594.  He served aboard the USS Permit from 1983-1985.

    Later in the evening, Jen and Mike of the sailing vessel Lacuna dropped by for a visit.  The four sat on the sundeck and enjoyed each other’s company.  During the conversation, Jen mentioned that they had been at the library most of the day yesterday during the storms.  When they returned to the marina, they did not see their sailboat anchored out in the river.  Upon closer inspection, they noticed their sailboat being tied up at the west marina pier.  They went down to see what was going on and learned that the sailboat had broken free of her anchor and set adrift.  The motor yacht noticed that no one was on board so they went and made the rescue.

    Yes, that would be the same boat the crew watched get towed to the pier yesterday, but did not recognize the sailboat.

    Thursday, May 25, 2017

    The crew shoved off from the dock and headed towards Jekyll Island.  This is another stop the crew has not made before.  But before they can dock, they have to cross the St Andrews Sound.  Two of the three times the crew has crossed these waters they have been met with some miserable conditions.  The last time they crossed the sound they had 4-5 foot waves off the starboard beam.  Not much fun.

    Today, the winds are out of the west, 10-15 mph and the tide should be going out when the crew arrives.  This should make for better crossing conditions.

    34

    But before crossing the sound the crew must get past the Kings Bay Sub Base.  The Coast Guard came over the radio and announced that the Navy was doing a “live fire” exercise in the area.  As the crew got close they got buzzed by a military helicopter.  The skipper recalled this information that was posted to Active Captain, ‘…..the actual charted route takes you uncomfortably close to the security zone around the sub base.  I actually had a “protection boat” change course and close distance on me rapidly.  I hailed the boat on the radio and the female voice informed me that I was NOT violating the security zone, they were just conducting drills.  I assume I was the bogey.  Not fun when there is a large mounted 50 cal mounted on the deck and someone is behind it…..’

    39
    The ‘Protection Boat’ with 50 cal up front

    Our crew safely navigated the area without any friendly fire.

    41 STM 700
    Mile 700 on Atlantic ICW, nice calm water

    By the time the crew got to St Andrews Sound, the wind was gusting 15-20 mph.  The good news was that the waves were only 2-3 feet.  The skipper decided to push the throttle to 2,000 rpm and get the boat up on plane to smooth the ride out.  This would also minimize the time out in these messy waters.

    42 STM 690
    Mile 690, not so calm anymore

    Another challenge with this particular sound is that the shortest straight-line distance across is only 1-3 foot deep.  This forces the boater to have to actually go out in the ocean a bit to get around the shallow water and then come back in hugging Jekyll Island.  The crew managed the 10 miles of fun without incident in just under an hour due to the increased speed.

    It took the two sailboats that the crew had been following almost two hours to safely pass through the area.

    Friday, May 26, 2017

    The crew took a trolley tour of Jekyll Island and then rode their bicycles around the northern end of the island.  The trolley tour was informative about the history of the island and broke the timeline into several eras for the island.

    English Colonial Era

    General James Oglethorpe named the island after a friend Sir Joseph Jekyll.  The General had William Horton set up a military post on the north end of the island to help protect Fort Frederica on St Simon’s Island just to the north from those pesky Spaniards down in Florida.

    By 1738 Horton had taken up permanent residence on the island and was running a plantation that was feeding his post and Ft Frederica.

    62 Horton House
    Remains of the second Horton House

    Plantation Era

    Christoph du Bignon was a refuge from the French Revolution and arrived at the island in 1792.  By 1800 du Bignon had acquired all the property on the island and was running a successful plantation.  Du Bignon died in 1825 and passed the island to his son Henri Charles du Bignon.

    An interesting side story about the island and the slave import business took place on November 28, 1858.  The United States had made the importation of slaves illegal back in 1808.  However, The Wanderer landed at Jekyll Island in 1858 with a cargo of 409 slaves from Africa.  It is thought to be the next to last successful shipment of slaves from Africa.  Also, interesting is that the slave traders were prosecuted, but were acquitted by the jury.

    Henri Charles divided the island among his four children upon his death.  In 1875 John Eugene du Bignon inherited the southern third of the island from his father.

    The Jekyll Island Club Era

    Du Bignon set about buying up the island from his relatives.  His plan was to build a winter retreat for the wealthy families of America.  He built a clubhouse in 1888 and began to sell memberships into his exclusive club.  Some of the club members were the Morgans, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and Goodyear.

    51 Moss COttage
    Moss Cottage

    The club opened every January and stayed opened thru Mother’s Day.  As the Club grew in popularity the members began building cottages to stay in rather than the clubhouse.  They called these mansions cottages because the homes did not have kitchens.  The expectation was that all meals were to be taken at the clubhouse.  The evening meal was a black-tie affair with 10 courses that took two hours to serve.

    59 Crane Cottage
    Side view of the Cherokee Cottage

    The Club era came to an end during WWII.  German U-Boats were patrolling and sinking ships off of the shores of the island.  The US government requested that the wealthy folks evacuate the island and remain away until after the war for fear that the Germans might try to kidnap someone and hold them for ransom.  At the time 1/6 of the total wealth of the US was held by the 53 members of the Jekyll Club.

    60 Faith Chapel
    Faith Chapel

    The stain glass window in the Chapel was made by Tiffany’s.  Louis Comfort Tiffany actually signed the piece.  It is thought to be only one of five known stained glass windows with his signature.

    Jekyll Island Authority

    Following WWII, the state of Georgia condemned the island and then purchased the island for $675,000 in 1947.  The state placed a convict camp on the island and used convict labor to rehab the island for public use.  The island was opened to the public on December 11, 1954.

    Saturday, May 27, 2017

    Originally the crew was going to have to leave Jekyll Island this morning because the marina was full and reservations would keep it full.  However, the marina staff rearranged some boats on the face dock by moving them closer and Still Waters II gets to spend another day on the dock.

    The crew spent the day relaxing and exploring the southern end of the Island. They rode their bikes to the St Andrews Beach to go look at The Wanderer Memorial.  The memorial added additional details to the slave delivery and trial.

    68 The Wanderer Memorial

    After the acquittal, the government put the seized ship up for action.  One of the principals in the slave trial bought the ship.  He immediately sold the ship to a man who had plans  to go back to Africa to get another load of slaves.  One bit of irony was that the buyer slipped out of town before paying for the ship.  On the way across the Atlantic, the crew learned of the plan, mutinied, and sailed the ship to Boston.

    56 Tanscontinental PhoneLastly, How about a trivia question?  What were the locations of the first transcontinental telephone call?

    Answer

    The call was made January 25, 1915 from New York City to San Fransisco, 3400 miles away.  Also on the line were Woodrow Wilson in Washington D.C. and Mr. Vail of The Jekyll Island Club and also CEO of AT&T.  The picture above is a replica of the phone used on Jekyll Island.

    Graham Bell used the same line “Mr. Watson, come here, I want you.”  that he used on his first phone call.  However, Watson’s reply was different because he was in San Francisco.  He answered by saying “It will take me five days to get there now!”

    Boat Name of the Week

     It’s About Time – A 70 foot yacht with a home port of Tulsa, OK pulled into the marina late Friday.   On Saturday morning, a sailboat with the same name was circling waiting to get to the fuel dock.  What are the chances of seeing two boats with the same name beside each other?

    Next Week –

    The crew will take two days to cruise to the suburbs of Savannah and dock the boat at the Isle of Hope Marina.  From there the crew will rent a car and head to Oklahoma City to take in the Women’s World Series of Softball.  The games start on Thursday and play thru the weekend.  The finals are a best 2 of three series that start the following Monday.  The crew will return to the boat June 8th and make the run to Savannah on Saturday June 10th with a few friends from the skippers working days.

    Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

    Eric the Red

     

  • All Aboard!!

    After maintenance and repairs that took six weeks, I am happy to announce that Still Waters II is back to cruising.

    In fact the crew left the Huckins Yacht Corporation on Monday morning and cruised twenty eight miles to the Jacksonville Free Dock on the Atlantic Inter Costal Waterway.

    I wanted to let all the virtual crew members out there know it is time to get back on board.

    If you would like to join the adventure as a virtual crew member, and get an e-mail when a post is made to the blog, click on the blog link below, and then click the ‘follow’ button.

    You can access the blog at the following link: Voyaging America’s Great Loop Aboard Still Waters II.

    I will begin to update the Still Waters II blog every Sunday providing a summary of the weeks cruising shenanigans.

    I have also begun updating the travel map on the days the crew travels.  You can access the travel map from the blog above or directly at this link: Cruising America’s Great Loop 2017.

    Hope to see you on board Still Waters II soon as a virtual crew member!

    Eric the Red

     

     

     

  • Back to Jack

    Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

     

    bridge_of_lions_medici_lion[1]
    Guarding the Lion’s Bridge

    Eric here catching you up to date on the latest travels of Still Waters II. Click on this link to see the DAY-TO-DAY TRAVEL LOG.

    I would also like to welcome Dirk and Pat, the crew of Wandering Star, aboard as our newest virtual crew members!  They will be launching their Great Loop adventure from Islamorada, Florida very soon.

    Summary of week:

    The crew made the last 70 miles to Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday.  From Jax, the crew rented a car and headed to Texas for the rest of the week to go spend some time with their grandkids.

    Jax

    Still Waters II VIMEO site

    I have posted a short video of the run to Jacksonville, titled JAX

    Sunday, March 26, 2017

    The run to Jacksonville from St Augustine is about 70 miles by the ICW.  The crew got an early start and managed to get off the dock just after sunrise.  When they left the marina and turned towards the Lion’s Bridge, there were two sailboats waiting for the 0800 scheduled opening.

     

    St_Aug_FL_Bridge_of_Lions_west_end06[1]
    Lion’s Bridge

     

    Still Waters II could slip under the 22-foot bridge so the skipper was trying to navigate towards the bridge and stay clear of the two sailboats.  The smaller sailboat captain had not posted a look out and nobody was actually at the helm.  There was one person in the cockpit messing with some lines as the sailboat was making a collision course for Still Waters II.

    As the skipper was trying to avoid a collision, the Admiral yelled over to the sailboat and got the person’s attention.  He immediately looked up and made a course correction to avoid pending collision.

    After this near miss the crew had an enjoyable run to Jacksonville.  The wind that had been howling for the better part of all last week finally decided to take a break.  The water was finally extremely calm.

    IMG_0200

    IMG_0201

    IMG_0202

    After a forty-mile run on the ICW, the crew came to the intersection of the ICW and St John’s River.  The crew turned left on the St. John’s River for the 26-mile run to Ortega Landing.

    IMG_0206

    Upon arrival in the downtown Jacksonville area the crew could see that the Railroad Bridge was open.  Unfortunately, as they neared the bridge they heard the bridge horn sound and noticed the RR Bridge begin to close.  The skipper backed the boat down and waited for the train to appear and cross the bridge.  As you can see in the photo, Still Waters II would not make it under this 9 foot clearance.

    IMG_0208

    The crew has not had much luck making this particular bridge.  Seems that they catch a train on the bridge each and every time they pass through Jacksonville.

    IMG_0209

    After the train passed over the bridge, the skipper expected the bridge to open.  However, the bridge stayed closed and the electronic sign continued to announce the arrival of another train.  After a few minutes more, another train arrived and also crossed over the bridge.  This train was moving extremely slow and had about 100 cars.  It took over 20 minutes for the train to clear the bridge.

    IMG_0210

    When the bridge finally opened, the skipper allowed all the small boat traffic to clear the fender area of the bridge before passing through.

    IMG_0211

    After the RR bridge delay, the crew headed towards the Ortega River and the last bridge of the day.

    IMG_0212

    Once on the other side of the above bridge, the crew headed to the marina to find their slip on the B Dock.  It was a tight fit in the slip, but the crew managed to stern Still Waters II into her berth.

    Next Week –

    The crew will keep the boat at Ortega Landing in Jacksonville until April 10th.  They will then move the boat up river to Huckins to have her hauled out and some work performed.  After she splashes back in the water the crew will decide when and where they are headed next.

    For the 2017 season though, they do plan to head north and cruise the Down East Loop.

    Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

    Eric the Red