Good Bye

How do you put in to words what these last 6 months have meant to us. We are so grateful  to be able to see one of our dreams come  true. I will always remember the people that we met, the places  that we've seen and the experiences  that we have had.
I want to thank all of our family and friends who became followers of the blog and posted comments from  time  to time. It meant alot to us to know that you were interested in our journey. Also thank you to all the people that followed us that we did not know. That was great to see that our blog caught your attention and you too commented.
I want  to thank Nicholas for holding down the fort at home and making sure that we were kept up to date on important things. Thank you to Stephanie and Matt for having us over for Thanksgiving. That holiday would not  have  been  the same without family. Thank you to Elizabeth and Sean for coming down  and visiting with us in Key West. They came just when I was in desperate need of family time. Now I want to thank the most  important person, Bob. He successfully got  us to Key West and back safely. He also  had so much patience  with me, even when I would have thrown me overboard.
We have enjoyed every minute of this trip, but the last  thing that I will say is
THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Home

We have made it back to RI and since I last posted we were only in Cape May.
We left there and was planning on going to go to Atlantic City but the following day was going to be windier so we kept going to Sandy Hook, NJ instead. We wanted to get past the NJ coast in one day; That was the longest day we ever traveled.  We went 110 miles in 8 hours. It was definitely a long day but we were glad we did  it.
The next day was windier but we shoved off and headed for Port Washington, NY. That morning it was 27 degrees and the spray from the waves was freezing to the windshields and the whole port side of the boat.  It was pretty amazing. I felt like I  was on the Deadliest Catch during the Opelio Season.
The next day we went to Westbrook,CT and today on to RI.
Our son came to pick  us up and we are now home trying to organize things.
Tomorrow I will  make the last post of this blog
Tonight I am making meatloaf .

Two Down

We have made it through the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware Bay.
We stayed an extra night in Rock Hall, MD because of weather. On Friday we made it to the C&D canal. We stayed at the Summit North Marina which is where we stayed on our way south. This marina is in desperate need of attention.
Today we are in Cape May, NJ. The Delaware was not smooth, but was better than any day on the Chesapeake. It is only in the 40's today.
We experienced something this morning that you should not when cruising on your boat. We had to scrap ice off the windshield as we were going down the bay. We had to use my kitchen spatula to scrap it off. The sides of the boat were icy also and Bob had put on his life jacket and was very careful. Everything turned out OK. It was a good thing that we only had to do it once.
There is a storm expected tonight so we will have to see if we can make it to Atlantic City for tomorrow.
Going to do something with chicken tonight.

Challenges

The challenges that lie between Liberty and home are the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, New Jersey Shore, Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay. These are all large waters and we will have to face each of them to get home.
The last time I  posted we had arrived in Norfolk. We did have to stay an extra day because of the weather expected on the Chesapeake Bay. The day was not wasted, Bob went and took a cruise around the naval base and also visited the Nauticus Museum.
On Sunday we headed out to face the bay, It was suppose to be getting better as the morning went on and it did. It was still uncomfortable but bearable. We made it to Deltaville for the night and we were the only boat in the marina as it has been.
Monday we wanted to make it to Solomons, MD, the winds were to be coming from the south and were to get stronger in the afternoon, so we left early...big mistake. It was so bad that we made it about 5 miles and pulled in to the next available marina. This marina was not even open yet, but let us stay.
Tuesday we did make it to Solomons MD. They told us we were the 3rd transient of the season that they have had. That made me feel better that we are not the only ones heading north this early.
Today we are in Rock Hall, MD, again the marina was not open but the dockmaster came in to get us settled. Today is cloudy and rainy. They are expecting some strong storms tonight so its good to be safely settled.
So far each day in the Chesapeake has been rough or as they say "snotty".
Some unsettled weather is forecasted for the next few days, The next stop is in the C and D Canal.
Dinner is pasta

Roughing It

Today we are in Norfolk, VA. We are officially done with the ICW. That's good news and bad news. Being on the ICW is usually pretty calm except in a few places where there is larger water to cross, so you can travel most days if you want to. Now we are totally at the whim of the weather gods. We need the winds and speed to be behind us or we can't move. Tomorrow calls for north winds around 10 - 15 knots and that is not the direction we want to head up the Chesapeake Bay. We will probably have to stay in Norfolk another day.
It took us 22 days to get here from RI on our way south. I am hoping it does not take that long to get back.
Being the early birds heading back we have found with the last couple of marinas  and including this one that the water is still turned off and the pumpout is also not working yet. There are restaurants nearby so we will have to get takeout and save the water for us and not dishes. We will have to modify our living on the boat until we get home.
Today bob was excited to see 3 bald eagles. Usually we see osprey nests on the channel markers, but on one of them there were 2 eagles. We then saw another one flying in the sky.

The Lone Boat

When we left Southport, NC on Monday we traveled 80 miles to a marina in Swansboro, NC. We were the only boat in the marina. Not even local boats were in that marina. It made me feel a little funny. When we were going southbound. you always had at least a dozen boats that you saw on a regular basis.
The next day we only went 48 miles to Oriental, NC. We did stay at this marina on the way south. The weather was fine until we entered the Neuse River. We only had to cross it to get to the marina and that was good because for about 15 minutes it was really messy. When we got there, there was 1 boat that decided to cut their day short because of the Neuse River. Later that afternoon 2 more boats arrived.
Today was another short day of 50 miles. We were in alot of open water and the waves were not bad.
Tomorrow should be our last day in NC. We are going to Coinjock, NC that is 82 miles away, then on to Norfolk, VA.
There are 2 ways to go from Norfolk to NC. One way is the Dismal Swanp which we took when we headed south. The other way is the Virginia Cut. That is the way we will go tomorrow. I think it is quicker. You have 2 locks on the Dismal Swamp route and only 1 on the Virginia Cut.
This marina that we are at tonight had a chicken dinner when we were here before that was offered to all the transient boats. We are the only boat here today so they have drinks and snacks at 5:00pm.

Where Are We?

Well, today we are in Southport,NC. We are making good progress heading north (or bad according to Bob).
On Friday we went to Charleston, SC. Bob's friend David came and took Bob to the grocery store and we all had dinner together. It was nice to see David again. We don't usually see David but every fews years,so it was a treat to see him twice in a few months..
Saturday we made it to Murrels Inlet, SC to a  marina called Wacca Wache. It was pretty isolated but very nice.
If  we don't get any weather delays or decide to stay an extra day we could be home in 2 weeks. I do want to visit a  little more in the Chesapeke Bay, because we did  not see too  much of it on our way down. We were too excited to begin in the ICW at Norforlk,VA.It  is pasta with vegetables tonight.

Boardwalk in Beaufort SC

Waterfront Park in Beaufort

Spring has sprung here

Purty Flowers

Brady tries out the restroom

Hey you following me?

Charleston Megadock 1/4 mile long

Redneck boatshed

I think he has cable TV too!

Skies Opened Up

Today we are in Beaufort, SC. On our way down we did not stop here. We stayed a a small marina across the way. This marina is known for very strong currents. On our way down we were not experienced enough to attempt it, but now, no problem. When we did arrive we had to get fuel and a pump out and just as we were tied to the dock the rain and wind started. It was wild, Bob was grateful that we were tied up before it started. The dock hand thought that he would be seeing a funnel cloud because it had got so windy so fast. Thankfully that was not the case. We did get very wet though.
On Tuesday we were in St Simon's, GA, then on to Savannah, GA the next day. Tomorrow we hope to be in Charleston, SC but the weather is suppose to be pretty windy and with the large Charleston harbor we might wait a day.
The rain has stopped so out to do laundry and then go walk around this historical town.
I put Beef Stew in the crock pot this morning so dinner is all set.

Georgia On My Mind

Lets catch you up to date.
On Saturday we made it to  Daytona. We stayed at the same marina as the one on the way down,  because they were really nice and helpful. When we were there it was the beginning of BikeWeek. I have never seen or heard so many bikes. This marina has a great restaurant with live music nightly and lets say I was on auditory overload. There seemed to be so much noise, between the bikes, the music and many people all around.
On Sunday we went back to St Augustine. There were still a lot of bike's there too, but did not seem to bother me.
Today we are in our last stop in Florida ,Fernandina Beach. The winds today were from the NE so it has been cold and cloudy all day. We had to put the shorts away and back with the fleece. The restaurant here has the best fish sandwich's I have  had this whole trip.
The weather tomorrow is for easterly winds with 3-5 foot seas outside. We were  hoping to go outside of Georgia but with a forecast like that we will stay inside.

Cocoa

I am not talking chocolate, but Cocoa beach, FL. If you are old enough to remember the TV show I Dream of Jeannie, this is where they lived. If you don't know what I am talking about, check out TVland.
This is the 2nd night here. I wanted to leave and keep heading north, but the Captain thought it would have been to windy on the ICW today. We would have to cross some pretty wide open water. So I will do laundry, make a run to the grocery store and catch up on some paperwork.
There is a cute little town right across the street from the marina where there is a hardware store that has quite a following. Everyone says even if you don't need anything you should go in and just look around.  It's suppose to have pretty much anything that you would need. The town  also has some restaurants with outdoor tables, so I think we will  go out for lunch.
I won't be posting everyday like I did when we were heading south, because mostly it will just be boring traveling days. I will  update you every few days so you can keep track of our northbound  journey.

Vero Beach

Here is the update of where we are.
 First, yesterday we did cruise outside and it was great. The seas were calm and we were able to get a little help from the gulf stream. We traveled 65 miles in 5 hours and ended our day in Palm Beach Gardens ,FL.
The winds are blowing from the NE today, so we traveled inside. There were a few no wake zones, but not so bad.
Our friends the dolphins were back swimming in our wake. As is the case they were hard to capture on the camera, I did try, but no luck.
We are in Vero Beach for tonight, we will  see if we stay an additional night depending on the winds.The winds are strong  from the NE and I hear they might be blowing even harder  tomorrow. Today on the ICW it was manageable.
I forgot to mention in a previous post that our windless motor broke. The windless is the electric attached to the anchor to make it easier to drop and retrieve it.. The first time that we went to anchor in Long Key the windless did not work. Bob had to remove the anchor from it and manually drop it and in the morning pull it back up. It was not so bad because we were only in 5 feet of water. While we were in Miami he pulled it all apart and did a McGyver. He used a spring from a pen and got the windlass working. Its not working great but working.
Chicken Chili and Cornbread tonight.

Cooling off at Long Key after we anchored

A Long Key sunrise

4 cruise ships were in port when we got to Miami

Miami Beach skyline

We followed this boat? (spaceship) up the coast from Miami
to Palm Beach

Vero Beach

Surf was up at Vero Beach
20 knot winds today

Slowing Down

Elizabeth commented the other day that we should slow down because the weather in RI is just nasty. The weather today in Miami is warm, sunny and windy.  With the wind blowing strong we have decided to stay another night. We want to cruise on the Atlantic side of Florida from Fort Lauderdale to North Palm Beach, because the section of the ICW in that area is very slow going. Today on the outside would have been a very uncomfortable ride. Tomorrow the wind is going to be calmer so we will leave then. We will be stopping at different places that we did not see on the way down. So don't worry we will be enjoying the trip North and won't be back until the snow and ice are gone.
Pizza tonight.

Back In Miami

It's funny to think that it took us 26 days to get from Miami to Key West when going south and it only took 1 day on the northbound trip.
 I had to get Bob out of the Keys fast or he might never have left. There was no point prolonging the pain. I am sure that we will be this way again.
We are back  in Miami and will stay until Monday. We don't want to travel on the weekend. We were on the water Saturday in Miami and it was like morning traffic on route 95. We are at a marina here. Brady needed solid ground to get his business done. He did okay for being on the boat 30 hours straight but I think that was his limit. We are going to anchor out every other time.
We have traveled farther each day since leaving Key West, 75 miles each day. The weather and the fact that we were not traveling through Manatee Zones made that possible. I am sure the next few days we won't get that far because this is the area were there are a lot of bridges and Manatee Zones. We are going to try to be home by early April as long as the weather permits.
Breakfast is French Toast and Sausage.
I think I am going to grill chicken on George Foreman grill tonight.

Quiet

After peeling Bob's hands off the docks of Key West and putting him on the boat, we have begun our journey north. He was not ready to leave, but all good things must come to an end.  I told him that the adventure is not over, we still have 1648 miles to get back home.
We have anchored in Long Key. There is only 1 other boat  here and it is so peaceful and serene. It makes you wonder why we have not done more of it. Brady will have to do his business on the boat since we have not inflated our dinghy. Check back tomorrow to see how that worked out.  We hope to do more anchoring on our way north.
I am making pasta with olive oil, garlic and spinach tonight.

Wasting Away In...

Cruise ship docked Key West

"Freedom" is a big lady

Big tarpon right by the boat slips

Barry the 1st mate on the Eva Marie
wrestles with the tarpon

A pirates life for me!

Elizabeth is "hooked" on this guy

Bob cops a free feel

The whole crew at Mallory Square

Early morning fishing trip

Barry 1st mate on the Eva Marie

Our friend Eddie invited Sean and I
to join him on the fishing trip

Sean catches his first fish a nice Bonito

Smile for the camera

Fish On!

Eddie reels one in from the fighting chair

Eddie shows off his Bonito

Sean puts his back into it

Proof that we made it all the way

...Margaritaville.  This is the last day here for us and also for Elizabeth and Sean. We are so sorry to see them go. We have had a great time these last few days with them.  We all walked to the Mel Fisher Museum where Bob, Elizabeth and Sean went in and Brady and I sat out and people watched. We then went to Mallory Square and just sat there and enjoyed looking out at Sunset Key and dreaming. Later that night the 3 of them went out to dinner and Brady and I stayed back on the boat. Now I don't want anyone feeling bad for me because I was left out. I have a great time knowing they were having fun.
While we were sitting out on the back of the boat one night a man who is staying in the resort came down to tell us that he and his wife saw us come in and liked our boat. He told us that he had gone fishing and offered us some of his catch. We of course said yes. He brought us some mackerel and tuna.  We cooked it for dinner and it was delicious. The next day he left a note on our boat asking if Bob and Sean would like to join him for fishing the next day. They were thrilled, went fishing with Eddie and had a great time. They found out that he lives on Cape Cod and he has invited us to visit him and his family this summer.
We did go to Mallory Square at sunset for the celebration that is held there every night. They have all sorts of people who perform different things like a man juggling fire, one playing banjo with his dog who takes the dollar bills from people's hand and drops it into a hat and a guy who just tumbles around.
One night Elizabeth was determined to find a restaurant who would accept dogs. She made numerous calls and found the Schooner Wharf which said yes,  as long as the dog is well behaved, and if there's a "clean-up in aisle two" we would take care of it. We all got to go out for dinner with Brady and had so much fun. Thanks to her for not giving up till she found one.
We all wanted to get to the Southern Most Point together today but that did not work out.  Bob had the pumpout boat coming today supposedly at 9:30 am. Elizabeth and Sean went out to visit the Hemmingway House and we would meet them after. Well, the boat did not arrive and he would not answer his vhf radio, so Elizabeth and Sean went to the Southernmost Point and when they returned we went. We wanted someone on the boat at all times in case the pumpout boat arrived. The boat never came and he finally answered the radio call and now will be here tomorrow at 7:30 am right before we leave.
I feel like I am just rambling on. I guess it's because I am wasting away in Margaritaville.

This Is The Day

At 12:30pm on Feb 20,2011 we have arrived  in Key West, Florida.
Can I get a Whoot.. Whoot. and High Fives all around .... Lets just say that words can't describe how great it feels to have come this far with our boat. It has been a dream for so long and now to see it come true is truly spectacular. We took a walk around today to really feel that we made it. We did stop and have a margarita, okay 2 margaritas (sorry Elizabeth, I told her I would wait for her to have my first) and lets say it was enjoyed very much. I am sure that will not be my last.
The Galleon Marina is in the middle of everything. It is almost too much for the mind to take it all in. There are 2 cruise ships in port. One is the Disney Magic and I don't know what the other one is yet. Maybe tomorrow we will walk that way and find out.
Now I thought I would give you some statistics for our trip so far.
Days On Board.....110
Nautical Miles.....1628
Diesel fuel used...1211gals
States cruised through...11
Memories Made...can't put a number on it.
Tomorrow we will get our visitors and can't wait to see them.
Tonight is pasta with salad.

Denise and Brady under the Tiki Hut in Maraton

Dreaming of margaritas in Margaritaville

Squint your eyes and see a loggerhead turtle

This guy is actually about 3' long
The picture was taken from a long distance

 

Disney Magic docked in Key West

"Magic"

6' tarpon taken from our slip at Galleon Marina

Another 4' tarpon

Proof that we're in Key West

Key West squirrel

No mom my feet aren't dirty
The "tiger stripes" are tan lines
from wearing sandles in paradise

Key West landmark

One More Day

We will be leaving here on Sunday. We will have spent 6 nights at this marina. I think that I mentioned before that the weather has been magnificent. Every day the temps have been in the high 70's to lower 80's with a slight breeze.
 The marina's in Marathon are off of Route 1. Just like at home it is a busy road filled with stores and restaurants. This marina is the last one in Marathon. When you get to Route 1 and head south you leave the busy section and head towards the bridge.
Today, Bob went for a very long walk over the bridge to Pigeon Key. Brady and I stayed on the boat for some quiet time. He says it was about 6 miles round trip.
Next stop is Key West and Elizabeth and Sean  will be coming in on Monday. We can't wait to see them.
Grilled Shrimp and Risotto tonight.

Sunsets

This spectacular sunset
got applause at the restaurant

The original 7 mile bridge was used as a railway
later converted to a very narrow 2 lane road
Now used by fishermen, bikers and walkers to reach Pigeon Key

On the 7 mile bridge

That's a vintage Trumpy Yacht anchored off of Boot Key Harbor

A large manatee getting a drink



He/ She must be 1000 lbs



"Give me a big sloppy kiss"

Making the rounds around the marina



Thought you might want to see another sunset

 The Marina we are at is known for the best sunsets in Marathon.. I can totally agree. Every night the sunsets are amazing. The restaurant on site has an outdoor seating area where everyone meets for the viewing. The weather continues to be nice.
Every morning there is a Mantee that wanders into the marina and stops at different boats. They are something to see up close.
Today we went for a walk over the 7 mile bridge. They have the old bridge that they turned  into a walking, biking path, and they have a new bridge for the cars. We did not walk the whole 7 miles, but we walked a ways.
We continue to meet very nice people every day.
I made a chicken pot pie tonight.