Palm Island FL to Beaufort NC, with stops in Fort Pierce, Melbourne, New Smyrna Beach, St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach FL, Thunderbolt GA, Beaufort, Charleston, Georgetown, Little River SC, Wrightsville Beach and Beaufort NC.

Another Osprey #275

We know, we know…it’s been over a month since we blogged, but believe us, we have our excuses!!  This blog is driving me crazy!!  Every time I try to add a caption to a picture, it tries to delete it! GRRRR!

 

 

 

 

Sunset, Kettle Harbor, Palm Island FL

We finally had our props repaired and headed off to Fort Myers, getting ready for our trip back across Lake Okeechobee and the Okeechobee Waterway.  We had a very pleasant, and very calm ride back across.

Okeechobee Lock

We arrived in Fort Pierce just in time for Memorial Day Weekend festivities with our J Dock friends.  It was sad to say goodbye to them again, but we left on the 28th for Melbourne.  There we met up with our dear friend Holly from Maui (one of Carol’s paddleboard/hula friends.)  So Holly joined us on board for 5 days and we had a fabulous visit with her. 

Holly enjoying the Atlantic sun

 The Captain/chef at work.

Holly left us in Fernandina Beach and stopped in to see Savannah.  What was a 2 hour drive for her in a car was a 2 day trip for us by boat!  We spent the first night anchored out on New Teakettle Creek, a very isolated but beautiful spot on a marsh in Georgia.   When we woke up the next morning ready to pull anchor, we discovered that the port engine wouldn't start.  Of course, we imagined the worst, thinking about new alternator, etc.  We hobbled on one engine (not to difficult with  auto-pilot) to Thunderbolt GA.  We had also had some air conditioning issues so needed to have both fixed.  Turned out that the problems were not very serious ones, so we were on our way in two days to Beaufort SC.

Storm Approaching, Beaufort SC

There we met up with Carol's sister Maureen and her brother Steve. The next day we arrived in Charleston and met up with Carol's brother Paul and his wife Audrey.  We had a great weekend with the six of us on board and exploring Charleston and its great restaurants.  We even finally took a horse and buggy tour of the city, which we really enjoyed.

Children Playing in the Fountain, Charleston

 

 Paul and Audrey left on Sunday and we got underway.  First stop was Georgetown SC, which has a nice downtown along the river but on a Sunday was totally shut down! 

The two days we spent at Cricket Cove, just north of Myrtle Beach and south of Sunset Beach, and met up with friends from CT, Sandi and Frank McCarron, who now live in Sunset Beach.  We spent a very pleasant evening with them and the next next day visited their lovely beach.

We arrived back in Morehead City NC last Thursday, just in time for The Big Rock Fishing Tournament.  It's a very big deal around here and the boat next to us won an unbelievable $346,000! for catching a 492 lb. Blue Marlin!  There was some celebrating going on.

We are leaving tomorrow (by car) to visit with family in Cary and Charlotte, and plan to be underway again later next week.  

 

We are both well except for a little bit of stomach flu this week.  Mal's knees hurt but Carol's neck is great!