To say we have put miles behind us is an understatement. We departed Stuart (MM 993) on Tuesday, May 1, spending single nights in Vero Beach, Titusville (in the shadow of Cape Canaveral,) St. Augustine, Amelia Island, and then we rested in Jekyll Island. Mileage was our goal. We tried a few anchorages and new marinas just for the experiences, and to make departures easy. Our weather break was in one of Rick's favorite spots so we enjoyed the super moon, high, high tides, and then storms in Jekyll. You can't complain, the restaurant at the Jekyll Club is a treat. (MM 684)
Rested and provisioned, we moved on to Beaufort, SC. (MM 536) We finally encountered a storm crossing Port Royal Sound. High marks go to the captain for great steerage with 25 knot winds and 5 foot growlers in a blinding thunderstorm. Fortunately, we had a reservation in Beufort (MM 536) for the night and the skies dried up, seas were like glass for the time we needed to tie up. The following day we had strong winds into Charleston. If you check the charts, there is a an easy in and out marina on the Stono River, St. John's Yacht Harbor, which made for a good one night stop just before Ellliot's Cut heading north. It has new ownership and the renovations are fabulous.
Today, May 11, we slipped the dock at 8:15, timed for the 9 AM Wappoo Creek Bridge opening. As we sailed past Charleston (MM 469) we sighed with regret; we love Charleston but she will have to wait for our fall return. Winds built all day so our short 56 mile hop was exhausting. (Our wind finder suggests the next week is not only fraught with rain chances, but 15-20 knot winds until the end of the week.) We are docked now in Georgetown, SC, (MM 403) and docking was no easy task (pictures in the morning.) As a reward for the boat gymnastics we had to perform to get into this slip we enjoyed dinner at the Rice Paddy, one of our favorite restaurants all year.
In the morning we have to wait for all the boats around us to leave before we can. Then we are heading to North Myrtle Beach. Stay tuned to see if this "experience" is what the books say it is. We plan to stay at Barefoot Landing on the ICW with free dockage on a 1,000 foot face dock at a mall! It should be interesting. (MM 357)
So far so good on this blitz trip home. We have timed the tides to accommodate skinny water (5 foot or less) and bridge heights and openings. All the bridges rumored to be nonfunctional were all working for us: charmed :). Skies have been kind while we have been on the water but if the skies open, well, that's what foul weather gear is for. Green flies have been ever present since Georgia so we are sailing with screens and are so grateful to have them. We are making 55-100 miles per day, averaging 75 miles, which will put us in our slip in Rock Hall before Memorial Day.
