Christmas in Brunswick GA

This is the Topaz sunrise on 24 Dec 06 making ready to weigh anchor to enter Brunswick GA. The old, to late to enter the unfamiliar harbour in darkness so dropped the hook at Lanier Island about two hours away. Pat called ahead to the Brunswick Landing Marina and made arrangements to secure to a marina for Christmas.

There is a large cruiser community here and we were invited to their Christmas Pot Luck Dinner. What a spread it was, Turkey, Dressing, Ham and all the Fixings. Fine deserts too numerous to mention (no Calories or Cholesterol) There where 30 to 40 cruisers in attendance, a very festive gathering including Guitar and Bag Pipes? Good time had by all.

This Marina is one of the best we have been to on the ICW, friendly and personable Dockmaster, helpful courteous staff, gigantic showers, free laundry. If your are in the area a good place to stop.

Other things you might like to know about Georgia. When we arrived here after living on the hook for the last week, we needed groceries and of course Christmas Cheer. So we headed to the nearest grocery store and stocked up also finding beer and wine and a bottle of port at the same time. After going through the checkouts, we had enough (two carts) so a taxi was in order. Pat took care of asking customer service to call us a taxi and I to the ATM for cash. While I was across the parking lot at the ATM and Pat was waiting for the taxi to arrive, the Store Manager came out and said to Pat that he would refund us for the beer and wine as it was against Georgia State Law to sell beer and wine on SUNDAY and he could not allow us to leave with it. So without a fuss Pat relinquished the beer and box of wine. As I returned and found out I was calm and cool and smiled as the beer and wine was no longer part of our Christmas plans. I believe we forgot to tell him about the Port and left it at that.

So If you ever stop in Georgia and are short of the festive spirit, Just hope its not on Sunday. Or you may be dry.

We toasted the Store Manager for not finding the Port.

Our new adopted pet.....we call him Big Bil

Big Bil followed us for miles....at one point we thought he was going to hitch a ride in the dink.

Topaz isn't too interested in giving up her spot as the Queen!!!

We were quite surprized that when we threw him some food (weiners) he doesn't catch them while in flight. You should see the "face plant" that they take from mid air...while the bil hits the water wide open, at least 50 miles per hour. Often the fish will be too big and send them head over heels. We have been trying to get a photo of this but they are always to far away.

Christmas is Just Around the Corner

Ted and I, with our upper decks a shining and stockings hung with care, wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas. It definitely will be a different Christmas as we battle the no-see-ums.

Today, Ted met an old aquaintance. The not so Tall Ship Royaliste (Rosborough 50 Bark) from his last tour on the Terra Nova in '96. New owners are Cathy and Gary, cocker spaniel May and two parrots. This old girl has quite the history behind her.

Fascinated with the tree roots and trunks of the river trees

Bridges and Sunsets

North to South...Carolina ... That Is!!

Approaching the Goose Creek Canal, the US Coast Guard had put out a “Pan Pan Pan” call requesting assistance of another sail vessel aground in the canal. A Hans Christian 38, with a 6.7 draft, had gone hard aground, on the right-side middle of the channel. The controlled depth of this canal is supposed to be twelve feet. There was a tug and barge coming north of him; he’d hoped that it would have caused a wave that would have lifted him off. Not so. Xcelsior, had answered the request, as we were approaching the canal and about thirty minutes away. Ironically, the Coast Guard sector was within a quarter of a mile away, as we pasted the base there were at least four RHIB boats as well as Tow Boat US (however, the Hans Christian did not have a membership to Tow Boat US or SeaTow). We managed to get a tow line and haul him out without damage to either boat. The next day we hear a call from another boat to Tow Boat US, who had gone hard aground in the same location. Shortly after, we had past a Coast Guard barge with a dredge…was he heading to that location?

Motoring across the Adam’s Creek (just across the harbour from Oriental, NC), in fourteen feet of water, we came across about a dozen bottlenosed dolphins. These creatures were not shy of boats. They played within feet of the boat from the stern, and weaving back and forth through our bow wave. Some doing the flipper jump. Bluish Grey, so close we could reach out and touch them, when they blew we were very much aware. One had approached the cock-pit area, as it dived, it blew. Topaz was alert with eyes bulging out of her head. At this point, she was sitting under the dodger on the edge of the companion way. She kept looking down below, as if expecting him to pop out of the bilge. Too cute!!

Two hours later, in Morehead City (just across from Beaufort, NC) as we take on fuel and water, at one of the Marina’s, a fisherman had just caught a Blue Fin Tuna and fed the tail and other parts to the Pelicans. As he dumped the remains at the stern of our boat, every Pelican, Seagull’s, White Herrings and any other wild bird in the neighbor had a frenzy feast. Amazed by it all and yet keeping low, Topaz wasn’t sure what to make out of it. As they all flew above and swimming below her, squawking and fighting. Seeing first hand, survival of the fittest gets the better feed.

A couple of days later, we had come across and few more pods of dolphins where the ICW would cross with a stream from the Atlantic Ocean. Quite surprised that in all cases of viewing the dolphins it was always within ten to sixteen feet of water. Usually with a current. When we aren’t chasing bridge lift or swing times, most of these bridges are on restricted openings (hourly or hour and half hours), we find ourselves fighting to find six feet plus of water depth. Two locations within less than five miles apart, we were not able to anchor or go into a channel, as the water would go from ten feet to four feet. As quick of a blink an eye. Fortunately, it’s sand and easy enough to get off the shoal. One really has to play the tide game in these waters.

Myrtle Beach, SC the homes are huge and more dollars than Ted and I could even imagine. It’s also a world of condominiums with either a marina or golf course.
Or for those who enjoy life all round, they get both marina and gold course. As we head further south, the weather is getting warmer. The last two evenings were the first of many that we did not require the heater. Soon hopefully we will be able to work on that tan.

As I write this update, we are anchored in Charleston, SC and plan to lower the dinghy and tour the city all day Saturday (tomorrow). Life is still good and there hasn’t been a dull moment. Evening entertainment has been: watching Ted kill off mosquitoes and laugh at every kill, with our magic wand.

Foggy Intracoastal