Green Cove Springs

We have been at a free dock in Green Cove Springs the past 2 nights. An update on the gnat issue: they were a mess. Billions (I mean Billions) of them on the boat. There excrement was indigo blue, all over the boat, a lot of which we had just waxed. I couldn't find a solvent to remove the blue stains. I tried soap and water, hull cleaner, wax, acetone, xylene, alcohol, oxalic acid, nothing touched the stains without a lot of scrubbing. Fortunately the sun is bleaching them out pretty nicely overe the past 2 days. Yesterday was Saturday, and while I was changing the generator oil an filter after breakfast, Cindy said she heard music, someone playing scales. We are on this dock adjacent to the park, and the area musicians had congregated as part of a Veterans Day celebration, along with local dignitaries, and were playing patriotic themes. A presentation followed, where the mayor asked all the members of the various service branches to come forward as their service branch was recognized, and say a few words. Each of the men and women that came forward spoke for a minute or so. It was incredibly moving. Brought tears to my eyes. Then just seconds after the band played the national anthem, 5 byplanes flew over with one breaking off for the missing man formation. Their timing could not have been better. Anyway, it was a great way to spend an hour. We are heading up the river a bit today, probably not too far, but away from the dock and back at anchor where it's quieter. I have arranged fo an Enterprise rental for Friday to take us to Eric and Shawn's for the weekend.
Engine Hours 5290.0
Genset Hours 5678.8

Veteran's Day in the park

Byplanes in formation

St. John's River

We are currently anchored in a bay off the St. John's River, about 15 miles upstream from Jacksonville. We stopped at a free dock at St. Simon's Island near Brunswick and biked to a great barbecue shack for lunch and got some groceries. Met a neat disabled vet who lives on his anchored boat there. We went outside at the Brunswick channel 65 miles to Jacksonville and made camp at the free dock at Sister's Creek where we have stopped several times before. Met a really nice lady there who is the cruising editor for Chesapeake Bay Magazine. She is working fom her boat, writing for the magazine as she works her way down the ICW. She is single handing her boat, and extremely capable, but Cindy and I helped her dock in the cross wind and current at the free dock. Coming down the outside allowed us to pump out off shore 6 miles. It was a fairly flat day, so no seasickness for Cindy. Yesterday we moved up thje St. John's to our current anchorage and today will move another 10 miles or so to Green Cove Springs where there is another free dock and a NAPA store. I need an oil filter for the generator and change the oil, whick is in the plan for the afternoon. At present however, we are going nowhere. The fog is so thick I can't see the shore, so until it burns off, I am watching a replay of the Wild win last night against the Kings. It was a west coast game, so way to late for me. There was a hatch last night and this morning there are a billion gnats covering the boat. They don't bite but as thick as anything I have ever seen.
Engine Hours 5287.9
Genset Hours 5678.7 (time for oil change)

Gnats covering the boat

And the windows

Morning fog beginning to lift

Flat day on the outside, Brunswick to Jacksonville

Note our speed with the tide going up the St. John's near Jacksonville

Met this guy going out the Brunswick entrance

In a Georgia Swamp

We left our anchorage north of Beaufort and got back on the road sort of. Stopped at Beaufort, the city has installed a new free dock close to the downtown area. We have stopped in Beaufort many times, but always at a marina that was away from the old downtown area. This dock is right there. We got the bikes out and rode to a grocery store for a few things and got a little exercise, then hiked the downtown area. Lots of shops, restaurants and just a great stop. We found a thrift store and I got a new belt for $1, Cindy said the piece of rope I had been using was a little tacky. She found some vintage scarves she thinks will sell, and a couple of beer mugs. Talked to a crusty guy in an old trawler that pulled in behind us, traveling by himself. We then went down the bay 5-6 miles, up a creek into a good anchorage where we stayed a couple of nights doing chores. The tidal swing here is 8 feet plus, so the current in these creeks is impressive and have to make sure there is a good set on the anchor. Yesterday we left the creek near Beaufort and passed through Savannah, Georgia, and found a Georgia swampp to make camp in. It's beautiful, remote, and this morning I could hear the waves breaking on the coast a couple of miles away through the swamp. Will head towards Brunswick today but maybe not go to far, we have a ton of time to get to Sanford by next week.
Engine Hrs 5266.0
GenSet Hrs 5670.0

This shows the tidal swing, note the depth, 9.6

Here is the depth about 6 hours later

Waxing, always waxing

Pctures of our swamp this morning

Happy hour with our new beer mugs. Also $1 a piece

Heading for Beaufort

I have been neglectful in posting on the blog. We left our protgected anchorage on Saturday, and moved on to Southport, where we had packages at Zimmerman Marine. They were closed but had given the boxes to the marina, where we stayed one night. Cindy got a chance for a run and I got a bike ride in. The stuff we ordered was all as planned, and I got the spare raw water pump I needed. Sunday we moved to an anchorage at the top of the Waccamaw River, we had stayed before, a beautiful remote spot. The owls that night sounded like they were on steroids. Monday, we moved to Georgetown for lunch, had a great burger, then down Winyah Bay to the entrance, for a planned run on the outside on Tuesday. Fueled up at Georgetown Dry Stack Marina, they had the lowest price fuel we had seen. Tuesday we did go outside to Charleston. The forcast on 2 sites was for following seas at 2-3 feet, should be pretty pleasant. Wrong! Going out the entrance was pretty ugly. Cindy got some good video, but not fun. After turning the corner outside the entrance, it improved, but was still a pretty up and down day literally. We had won free dockage at the Krogen Rendezvoux for the Charleston Marina, convenient to downtown. They were full so that was a flop. Instead went to the St John's Yacht Harbor 4-5 miles south. We wanted to tour Charleston on Wednesday, so had to get an Uber each way to the downtown historic district. The city is full of history. We signed up for a tour of the historic district and then Fort Sumter. Our tour bus had only the two of us on it, so the tour guide was all ours. He talked non stop for over an hour and a half, telling us about who lived where, their importance to the development of the area and lots of Revolutionary and Civil War history. Then on to Fort Sumter. The National Park guy there was great in explaining the history and structures. We walked around Charleston the rest of the afternoon and found a brewhouse with good IPA's and wings, and Uber'd back to the boat. Yesterday moved on south to an isolated anchorage 15 miles north of Beaufort where we may stop today for an hour or two if it works out. Yesterday we did firm up our exit strategy for a couple of weeks from now. We will take the boat back up the St. John's River to Sanford. They have a covered slip for us for a couple of months, mid November to mid January at a great price. It's fairly close to Eric and Shawn for our visit with them the weekend before Thanksgiving. Boat is running great.
Engine Hours 5253.1
Genset Hours 5661.4

Sunrise this morning at our anchorage above Beaufort

US Customs House at Charleston

Great wings and an IPA flight at Charleston

Uber equivalent downtown Charleston

Fort Sumter

Beautiful old churches in Charleston

The doors on this church were immense

Neighbor at the St Johns marina

Stange speed limit on a road near the marina

Typical SC home