Monday, December 15, 2008

Hi all-- Here's the news beginning on Monday of our last week of this part of the trip. Happily, the Indian River in the Cape Canaveral area of central Florida is wide and deep. Wide, we see often. Deep, not so much. It is not at all uncommon for the ICW to be a channel of 8-10 ft. depth in what appears to be a huge, wide body of water. Suddenly, you see a bird obviously standing on the bottom. Or you hear the depth sounder beep to say there is less than 4 feet of water under the bottom of the boat. Or you see a boat sadly lying in the mud. OOPS. With wide and deep, navigation was more relaxed than it has been and we each had some free time on Monday. Sure will be happy when the GPS is back. We found a boatyard in Sebastian River, FL that can do a 'short haul'--which means lift Young America out of the water so the right rear propeller can be inspected. On Tuesday morning Thomas put the straps around the boat and up she went. And the nut holding the propeller on the rudder shaft could be freely turned by hand! We are soooo happy that Fred rotates the rudder shafts from the engine room every morning. His hearing that telltale 'clunk' prevented learning about a big problem by losing the ability to steer when the prop fell off! In less than an hour the boat was back in the water, and Mike and Dave, the two a/c guys (who'd driven over from Tampa) came aboard to do their thing. They installed another blower plus gave Fred lots of good info. These are the guys who write the manuals explaining the systems! What great service. With all that, we were underway by 10:30 am. A big morning! By 4 p.m. we were at Ft. Pierce, FL, and what a beautiful city marina we found there. We've consistently gone to Municipal marinas when we find them, and have not yet been disappointed. At Ft. Pierce, we were treated to a music and light show that plays electronically from 6-10 every evening. It was very well done and lots of fun for lots of families. There was also an enormous Christmas tree surrounded by at least a gazillion pointsettas. Planted, no less. It was beautiful. Not to be outdone, YA is decked out with her wreath that came aboard in St, Augustine. Like all the municipal marinas we've visited, the area around this marina was clean, well lighted, had lots of shops and restaurants—and lots of people just walking, sitting, and taking advantage of a neat space! Hated to leave, but leave we did. Another place added to the “let's come back here” list. Wednesday was our last night 'out' on this leg of the trip, and it was spent near the Jupiter Inlet. The ICW runs pretty much along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Every so often, there will be an 'inlet'--opening to (or from) the ocean. These are the places where commercial ships leave and enter, and where boats like us can go 'outside' to make a run along the coast. Today we considered that in order to avoid the minute to minute navigating, the manatee 'slow' zones, and the bridges, but the weather decided for us. Wind and rain make the ocean choppy and uncomfortable—not to mention dangerous, so with south winds at 25 mph, we stayed 'inside' . By the way, Knute, the new anchor, rocks! He set himself in a second, grabbed the bototm and held, and pulled the boat to him. Very impressive! We thought we'd seen bridges last week! South Florida is (surprise!) very heavily populated and people in automobiles seem to want to cross the water everywhere! Imagine. Many of the bridges are 65' above the water, and present no problem for even the tall sailboats. Along this stretch, there can be as many as 6 bridges in just 10 miles, and at least half of them are less than 20' off the water. That is too low for us, so we just ride along and wait for the scheduled openings. One bridge tender read our home port(Newburgh) on the stern and told us she was from Middletown, NY. Fun. Despite the bridge and manatee delays, we arrived at the Ft. Lauderdale Commercial Blvd. Bridge before dark, and sure enough, on the fourth canal to the left, we saw MIRAGE docked with a long open space off her stern. Fred eased our Mirage in as Marilyn Markus, my high school classmate, caught the lines. Marilyn and I had talked at our 50th H.S, reunion last August, and when she invited us to come to Ft. Lauderdale and dock at her home, we happily accepted. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we've been catching up, eating, touring the city, visiting, eating, preparing the boat for a bit of a vacation, eating, watching the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Parade—from the upper deck of YA, and generally having a great time. Now it is Monday. We leave our floating home and fly to Newburgh tonight. We will spend the jolly Holidays at our 'vacation condo' with family and friends. Young America will stay here and await our return. We leave you with the understanding that right now there is a lot to be concerned about, and also a great deal to raise our hopes for the future. So please accept our best wishes for good health, prosperity and much joy as you celebrate this festive time of the year! We'll be back in 2009! Fred and Linda PS The GPS arrived Friday, is re-installed and seems to work fine. Hallelujah! A/C remains a bit of a problem. The new blower also works just fine, but now the unit drains lots of water onto the dinette floor. It does keep Fred busy!

December 8, 2008

Man, am I late this week! No excuse, and here goes..... When last we 'spoke' we were anchored near “Fred's Island”. On Tuesday morning in Jeckyll Island, GA, we had ICE on the deck. Last week snow, this week ice. We pretty much decided we are just not moving fast enough to outrun the cold! Well, at 1 p.m. Wednesday we crossed the St. Mary's River into FL, and by 3 p.m. the doors and windows were open with sunshine streaming in! At last! We spent a night at Jacksonville Beach, then two at St. Augustine. A workman came to the St. Augustine marina to install a new blower on our air conditioner—the original had a factory defect. That evening we went to dinner with a local couple, Ken and Holly, whom we'd met when they had their boat serviced in Kingston at Certified Marine. Had a very pleasant evening. Ken was a Rockna anchor dealer, and so we spent Friday morning installing “Knute' our new VERY large Rockna anchor! In the afternoon, Barb and Randy, who have LAZY DOLPHIN tied up in Green Cove Springs, drove over to St. Augustine and we had a fun time shopping—West Marine and Groceries—and then enjoyed a great seafood dinner! Our slip at St. Augustine was right next to the 24 hour crews working to restore the Lions Gate Bridge. It's a 1928 bridge and in the country's oldest city, so it will remain a part of the history—at any cost, apparently. A 90 foot temporary lift bridge has been installed to span the water until the Bridge of Lions is updated. Then the temp goes away... Amazing. Saturday morning we headed for Daytona Beach, and tied up around 3 p.m. in Halifax Harbor. We took a long walk down Beach Street, and by 8:30 p. m. were both falling asleep over dinner. We are a lively pair--or maybe my cooking just isn't that exciting? Sunday seemed to be a big day for FL boaters. They were out in full force—sailors, fishing boats, kayaks and jet skis all over the place. Not to mention the airplane boat—a flat bottomed affair—very loud, and it can go wherever it can skim the surface of water. Funny. The books all say there is an abundance of wildlife in Florida's east coast. We've been followed by seagulls and pelicans, but aside from the occasional heron (egret?) and the plethora of dolphins, we've not seen much else. 'NO Wake-- manatee zone' signs are much more frequent along this section of the waterway, and for long stretches slow speed limits are strictly enforced in order to protect these slow swimming critters from propeller injuries. We've seen one maanatee, and that was in GA last June. We have certainly stayed out of the way of a lot of them, though—we guess. Sunday night we docked in Titusville, FL, where Fred worked on the air conditioner—it is making very loud noises again. Not good. Then the starboard (right) propeller went 'clunk' when he rotated it by hand this morning. This is also not good. We're making plans to get it checked, and will let you know For now, I'll say adieu—till next time! Linda and Fred

December 1, 2008

Happy Monday. Happy December, or to quote my favorite sweatshirt—Happy Everything! We are, once again, in an iffy internet area, so photos will phollow when we can get the signal. Last week it was Sunday morning. Who knows? I'll keep trying all week. Last Monday, we set out from Charleston, and went all the way to, well, Charleston. Waved to Fort Sumter as we crossed the harbor and tied up in the Ashley River. Boat work. Had to remove the non-working GPS and ship it off for repairs. Charleston has an awesome Post Office, complete with a mini museum! And you never know who you'll run into. We set out Wednesday to resume our trip south, which in this area takes us west, then east by south, then more southwesterly, then back east. The Waterway really winds and twists as it follows creeks and rivers, joined by cuts through the deep muddy marshlands. Our stop for the night was a shrimp dock in the Mosquito Creek off the Ashepoo River! Bought diesel fuel for $2.75/gal—lowest price since VA. Also got some fresh shrimp and were entertained by the little kids watching a critter in the muddy shore. We got there late—only saw the tracks We tied up in Beaufort, SC (that's b-yoo-fort SC, as opposed to BO fort,also spelled Beaufort, NC) where the Big Chill, Prince of Tides and Forrest Gump were all filmed. We were planning a shrimp scampi Thanksgiving Dinner, but changed our minds when we saw fliers and were encouraged by other boaters to join them at St. Helena's Episcopal Church for turkey with all the trimmings. What a great job the community did! Food was delicious and the atmosphere festive—made more so by the official greeter! On Friday, Fred's cousin Gene and wife Betty drove over from Hilton Head for lunch, and then Fred and I spent the rest of the day doing boat work! Scrubbed the outside, cleaned inside, and changed the oil in both engines and the generator! It felt sooo good to have it all done—we were as happy as this Beaufort resident. At least as happy. ( Saturday was an icky weather day, and we were happy to stop in Hilton Head and get out of the rain and fog. Sunday more of same, and again we did only a short run, this time to Thunderbolt, GA. What a great stop, and we got right into the spirt of the season as we followed this huge snowman up the ICW. We'd have liked to stay on in Thunderbolt—it is 6 miles from Savannah, and the city bus runs into that wonderful city every day—but alas, we must press on. Florida calls, and now that November and the Hurricane season have ended, we are legit to go. Our boat insurance stipulates that we must stay North of Savannah until the end of the season. Our timing was spot on! So today we did more twisting and turning, dolphin and bird watching and tonite are anchored in the Wahoo River. The 7 foot tides and the currents that accompany them are interesting and exciting. The island in this picture was not visible when we passed it—Fred read the water, though, and foretold it's arrival. A beautiful spot. All in all, a very good week. Hope yours was, also! Good nite and good wishes to you all! Fred and Linda

sunday, Nov. 30, 2008

November 24, 2008

Good morning! Monday, Monday, as the Mamas and the Papas used to sing---Can’t trust that day! In this case, it simply slid away with no Monday Message. So here goes on Tuesday, Tuesday. Last Monday began beautifully and ended less so! The ride from Oriental to Beaufort/Morehead City was delightful. While we didn’t stop there (again) we enjoyed the busy harbor with a city on either side of the Newport River. When we entered the Bogue Sound, the current pushed us to a dizzying 8 knots! I’d just commented to Fred that we should be watching for dolphins, when they began to show themselves. For a full two minutes a group of three swam alongside the boat, arcing, huffing and puffing, looking up at me, and generally showing off for my camera! Around two pm we got a message from the Marines at Camp LeJune that boats 3 and 4 miles out in the Ocean would be shooting live ammunition onto Onslow Beach (target practice, and radio use practice, as well). Along with 7 sailboats, we opted to anchor and wait them out, rather than backtrack. Two hours later, a ‘cease fire’ was declared so a tow boat could pass through the firing area to reach a vessel having an emergency. Half an hour after that someone allowed as how they’d not be firing again, and we could all pass through the firing range. YA, the fastest of the ‘fleet’ arrived at the Onslow Bridge (vertical clearance 12 feet) at 5:04pm. It opens on the hour and the half hour, and as no one was waiting at 5:00 the bridge tender told us apologetically, that he must wait till 5:30. And wait we did, and watched evening fall as a total of 12 cars crossed the bridge. By 5:34, when the swing bridge was open enough for us to go through it was dark, and our GPS decided to stop working. Fortunately, we have 3 backup systems, and between them and the ‘always at the ready’ paper chart, we made our way through a maze of markers and docked safely at Swan’s Point Marina just before 7 pm. Tuesday morning we opted to sit tight as the wind was whipping, and it was COLD! It actually snowed for about 10 minutes! YIKES! On Wednesday we were glad we’d waited, as it was a beautiful day--freezing, but sunny and calm. Fred had lowered our antennas a bit so we were able to pass under the Surf City and Figure Eight Bridges. At Wrightsville the book said 20 feet, but the bridge tender said 17, so we opted to wait it out with our 19 foot height. Fred’s laptop, with the maptech charts and GPS failed, also, so I plotted compass courses and we’re verifying them with the GPS unit that D2 gave Fred at the end of his year as Commander. Gerry, the hand held Garmin has now moved to first back up position! We passed through Snow’s Cut and the current coupled with a gentle breeze to carry us nicely down the Cape Fear River. With more than a gentle breeze, it can get ugly. The river was busy! Lots of barge and ferry traffic, dredges and multiple range markers and buoys, as well as the occasional pile of concrete simply standing in the water. We were happy to make the turn into the newly redone SouthPort Marina. Thursday morning we picked up a complimentary copy of USA today at 7 am and were off--heading for South Carolina. This stretch of the ICW is the last to be finished in the 1930’s, and we soon entered the section the Corps of Engineers had to blast open through fossiliferous limestone. The result is called the 19 mile long “Rock Pile“. Woe to the vessel who is pushed too far to the side. A tug captain in Georgetown told us how he’d watched a large power boat be destroyed by not slowing down to pass the tug. The consequence? Tore out the bottom of his boat on the hidden wall of rock. Uffda. The last pontoon bridge on the eastern ICW (one is working in Texas) opens only on the hour so we, along with 5 other boats, had a 40 minute wait. After a long stretch of “No wake” travel due to the many boats docked along the waterway, we passed through a swing bridge and tied up at Barefoot Landing. This 500’ long dock along the waterway is part of an outlet shopping center with lots of botiques (many closed for the season) outlet stores and restaurants. A nice stop; it is a part of North Myrtle Beach, the beginning of the 60 mile ocean front ‘Grand Strand’. This area continues to grow--three bridges are under construction between South Port and Myrtle Beach, to carry the increased traffic. Friday morning we were amazed to see that at 8am the Myrtle Beach golfers were out in the tram, crossing the waterway. Our thermometer said 39 degrees. Bless their hearts. Our Friday nite stop was in Georgetown, where we shopped at “Morsels” (specialty foods) and a book store, where we supplemented our library. (Maybe Wally Lamb’s “The Hour I First Believed” has something to do with the disappearance of Monday….) On Saturday, we twisted and wound our way along the rivers and cuts of the ICW to dock around 4 at Isle of Palms. Phoned my high school friend, Paula, who drove over from Sumter for lunch on Sunday. We then did an auto and walking tour of Charleston--see the photos of a few of the many places we saw! We walked miles and miles! The city is beautiful, historic, filled with flowers and gardens, and way more interesting places than we were able to see. A Must Return To City! So that is our week. Hope yours was great. As Thanksgiving Day approaches, we are mindful of our many, many blessings, and send you all our best wishes for a wonderful holiday. Fred and Linda Aboard YOUNG AMERICA

Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008

Finally, here are last week's photos. Windows Vista and HP Photosmart and I are spending a lot of time together these days. Sometimes I feel like the person my friend Mary once described---Mary said "I finally figured out that her learning curve is a circle!" I do believe, though, that it is NOT me, rather the computer programs that simply behave badly. In any case, the photos are here for all to see, and I hope, enjoy! L

November 17, 2008

Hello all, Ah, the Dismal Swamp! ‘Twas anything but dismal. First off, it was Veteran’s Day, so we flew the big Holiday flag and indeed felt festive! Then Robert, the lock tender (of 3 who work the locks, he has least seniority with 15 years!) offered coffee and passed out danish as we four boats prepared to be raised up 8’ in the lock so we could transit the canal. About 2/3 of the way thru the canal we tied up at the Visitor’s Center, and as soon as we stepped ashore a State Park Employee opened a new type of bridge across the waterway. A handful of hikers crossed, and we hurried to inspect the bridge. Sarah the policeperson, closed it while we watched so Fred could see how the mechanism worked. Then it was time to re-board and head for the South Mill Lock. Once again we were awed by Turner’s Cut, the beautiful section just south of the Dismal Swamp. While the leaves had just passed the peak of color, many fell into and floated on the water, and it was lovely. Our destination for the day was Ellizbaeth City, NC, about 18 miles past the Canal. Tying up at the town dock was a challenge. Thank goodness locals turned out to help. One, Steve, is the mayor of the town. He toured the boat--is in the market--and we rushed him through so we could get to the dinner theater on time. What a fun evening. Order dinner using the telephone at your table, then lean back and watch a movie while you eat. This one was “The Secret Life of Bees”. We recommend it highly. We’d have loved to stay over in Eliz. City, but checked the weather and decided to take advantage of the promise of a beautiful Wednesday. Sure enough, we crossed the Albamarle Sound in quiet, calm weather, and anchored just as dusk fell in a cozy creek off the Pungo River, near Belhaven. End of nice weather. Rain, wind and fog kept us in our cozy creek all day Thursday. We couldn‘t see the pennants on our own mast, and when we did, they were flapping in a strong breeze. Friday the wind was calm and so we moved on despite more fog. Again, we were stopped short of our planned destination, and again anchored in a cozy creek. Saturday morning we headed into Oriental, NC. A self-proclaimed ‘Boating Capitol of the South’, Oriental is indeed, a cute little place where we had lunch with Barb and Randy, of GH37 LAZY DOLPHIN. People are friendly, too. The dockmaster loaned us his car to grocery shop! We spent a quiet evening, and although the weather looked ok, decided to take a day off and do ’boat work’. I dusted the venetian blinds (whew!), and Fred repaired the anchor light, which has been a thorn in his side for days. We took time out to lunch with Gen and Bill from POT LUCK, and by the time the anchor light was fixed dark had fallen and we were ready to have a cup of soup and say goodnight. So we did. This morning, Monday, dawned bright and clear, and we were there to see it! At 6:50 am (a new record for us) we were underway, heading south. With the temp. at 40 degrees, we can’t get to warmer climes soon enough! See you next week! Fred and Linda Aboard YOUNG AMERICA

Monday November 10

We certainly didn’t put very many miles under the keel this week! The weather stayed thick, wet and unmanageable until Thursday! We went for wet walks, read books and generally worked at staying out of the way of Mike and Tom. There were several minor electrical changes Fred has wanted done since YOUNG AMERICA came to live with us last March. All but one are now completed, thanks to M&T (mentioned above and pictured at right). The last one is an elusive little devil that had Mike, the electrician scratching his head, and now that we’ve left Deltaville and Mike is off the job, has Fred shaking his. Head, that is. One day it will sort itself out, I’m sure. When the sun finally broke through on Friday we hightailed it around to the Hampton Roads. ‘Roads’ apparently, is an old English term describing ‘a place near the ocean where large vessels can anchor safely.’ In this case, Hampton Roads is located at the confluence of the Elizabeth and James Rivers, Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, with the cities of Hampton, Newport, Newport News and Virginia Beach all within, well, anchoring distance. Hampton, VA has a delightful town dock. We planned to stay 2 nights, but the third was free, so who could resist? It was in this part of Tidewater VA, near Richmond, where Fred’s parents lived at the end of their lives, so on Saturday we rented a car and drove to the churchyard where they are buried. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in New Kent, VA is a lovely brick building which dates back to the 1700’s. It was, interestingly, the site of both marriages of our first First Lady, Martha Dandridge-Custis-Washington. She was born nearby, grew up and married in this area, and after the death of her first husband, she returned to St. Peter’s, her home church, for her marriage to George. From St. Peter;s, we rode back to Cumberland Farm, the place where Mangelsdorf family gatherings took place in the late 1960‘s and early ‘70‘s. The property changed hands three years ago, and the new owners were very gracious, and happy to show us the many improvements they have made to the house and the grounds. Fred was very pleased as the place looks wonderful and is clearly loved. We returned to the Church for Sunday services, and there Fred was able to speak with several folks who remembered his mom and dad. All in all, it was a very nice visit. On Sunday afternoon we bopped down to Virginia Beach where I’d read about a labyrinth at the Edgar Cayce Foundation. I walked both the labyrinth and the reflexology walk and browsed in the bookstore while Fred read the paper--a treat we don’t get every day! A wine tasting party was being held on the dock when we returned Sat. evening, and Sun. evening we spent some time with a pair of retired potters who live aboard PotLuck, the boat next door. The best part of this trip/life is the people we meet! Today we motored through Norfolk to the lock at the top of the Great Dismal Swamp. We got off to our typically early start, (NOT) then made stops along the way to take on fuel (mercifully down to $2.64/gal.) and water, and to chat with Michael, a Great Harbor owner from Warwick, NY who was tied up in a marina as we passed. (The boat, of course, is what was tied…) Then there are the many bridges of Norfolk. They open on demand, within a time schedule. We arrived at the last one at 3pm, then waited until the boat behind us was close enough to go through on the same opening. As a result, we arrived at the lock a few minutes after the lockmaster had closed the gates for the last passage of the day. Not a problem. He promised to bring coffee for the first opening in the morning, and we‘ll for sure be first in line to enter the lock. We dropped our anchor and are spending a lovely quiet evening in Deep Creek. Leaving the Chesapeake was sad; we barely scratched the surface of places to see and things to do. That means a return trip is in order! Now, along with many others, we’re definitely ‘heading’ south. See you next week! Fred and Linda Aboard YOUNG AMERICA At the beginning of the Dismal Swamp, VA

November 3, 2008

OK, so it is Tuesday. Election day, at that! We returned to the boat late last Monday, the 27th of Oct., from a busy week in Newburgh. Lynn and Jeffrey motored over from Baltimore to say au revoir, and to have a great Chinese dinner! Tuesday and Wednesday were really ugly weather days--on Wed. afternoon we decided to ‘give it a shot’ and head for Annapolis despite the ‘small craft advisories‘. After all, we are not such a small craft, are we? We are! Rapidly repeating 7-8 foot waves convinced us that we belonged back at the dock, and back we went. Had some work done on the Watermaker, and by Friday the sun was shining and we were underway. Spent Hallowe’en in Knapp’s Narrows, MD, where Jeff, the bridge tender at the busiest bascule bridge in the country, let us watch the bascule bridge’s workings from the operator’s side, and recommended Harrison’s Family Restaurant for dinner. It was a hoot! Not only costumed wait staff, but the folks at the next table shared their freshly caught Sea Bass (prepared by the restaurant’s chef). Nice. We returned to Solomon’s Island Sat. and stayed Sunday as well. Anchored this time in the Back Creek and used the dinghy to explore and to pick up a few things from our two favorite stores-West Marine and a gourmet food store! It doesn’t get much better than that! We also toured the wonderful Calvet Museum. Several neat things there--a 3000 year old fossilized whale skull unearthed by Hurricane Irene in 2003, the sailboat Manitou, which was gifted to John Kennedy for his use while President (it is for sale--a mere $2 million!), and a transplanted light house beautifully restored. I was meandering about the museum when I heard the loudspeaker say “Phone call for Mr. Mangelsdorf”! Don’t you know, Fred found the name of Mel Conant, a member of the Rum, Sail and Chowder Society from Cape Cod (remember the photo of Sophia Loren on the boat?) on a museum exhibit, asked the docent about Mel, and the next thing we knew we had a dinner date with Christa, Mel’s widow. It’s a small, small world! Monday we motored on down to Deltaville, VA. Once more there is boat work, and Mike has been here all day fixing ’stuff’. As I look toward the Bay all I see (through the rain) is a solid wall of fog. So we’re tucked in and snug to check out the election returns. The marina offers a car and bikes to explore the town. Perhaps it’ll be dry tomorrow…. We will ‘see’ you next week! Fred and Linda Aboard YOUNG AMERICA Deltaville, VA

October 20, 2000

For us, this week was devoted to catching up on all the lovely spots on the Chesapeake we missed by having a time line as we came south to meet the GHTA group. We are in total agreement that timelines are NOT what this 2 year adventure is about, and we have renewed our commitment to deciding today what to do today! “Solomons” as the island community and surrounding area is/are called, lived up to it’s reputation as a delightful spot to visit. We strolled the streets of the adorable village, and agreed that this is a place to visit again. Ditto St. Michael’s. We’ve both been there before by car, but it was a wonderful experience to come into the harbor and tie up at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. From the exhib,its in the buildings (and there are many on htis 7 acre site) you really get a feel for the life of the fisherman--and of the oyster, and crab. Then you look out on the water and there he is, the crabber going back and forth, back and forth as he removes the stubborn crabs (who won't let go of the bait) from the rolling trotline on the side of the boat. Talbot Street was, to a great extent, closed for the season, but we enjoyed the lack of traffic and low pedestrian levels as we walked about. Our dinghy exploration of the bay was neat also, as we stopped to chat with other boaters along the way. From St. Michael’s, we headed into the Chesapeake again, timing our travel to meet up with the 90 or more schooners who were lining up for the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. This race from Annapolis to Portsmouth, VA (at the bottom of the Bay) is an annual event to raise money to save the ecologically challenged Bay. Our friend Mary Mulrooney was aboard the Mystic Whaler, as she has been for several years! The two hours we spent moseying about among all those boats as they jockeyed for position before the starting gun went off presented a serious challenge for Fred’s Rule #2--Don’t hit other boats! But we were successful, and as the schooners headed east and south across the Bay, we turned Young America north to Baltimore. The Baltimore Harbor was filled with Navy boats--cargo ships, a hospital ship, and the skyline was dotted with cranes. We continued into the Harbor ‘til we could go no more--the end of the Inner Harbor, where the major renovation of the last several years has created a wonderful park-like marina. Well, ok, there aren’t many trees, but benches abound and many, many people were out enjoying the sunny days and impromptu entertainers. There is lots to do and see in the immediate area--Science Museum. National Aquarium, boats to tour--the USS Constellation, the last Civil War vessel afloat, built in 1854 and the last all-sail warship built by the US Navy; and the USS Torsk, the WWII submarine which fired the last torpedo (and sank the last Japanese ship) in August, 1945, at the end of the war that followed WWI, the War to End all Wars. The family behind us on that tour learned a lot from hearing Fred explain the boat, and they (both FBI agents) and their 15 year old son were full of questions! Neat. Friends Lynn and Jeffrey Levy who live in Baltimore introduced us to an Afghan restaurant (great food!), and on Friday evening cooked for us at their home. We borrowed their car on Sat., and with the crew of SNOW CAT (our dock neighbors) went to Annapolis to the boat show! It was interesting to see the harbor we cruised last week filled in with floating docks, and wall to wall boats and people! In addition to the Boat show, Navy played Pittsburg (and lost) so the traffic was pretty spectacular! Shuttle service was great, though, and, happily, we were able to return to Lynn’s car without difficulty. Today Baltimore became a memory, as we crossed the Chesapeake to tie up in Castle Harbor Marina on Kent Island, one of the friendliest marinas we‘ve visited. No less than three people have stopped in the past hour to see if we need transportation--or anything! We don’t, of course,as we’ve rented a car and soon will be underway on wheels, headed for Newburgh. It’ll be a busy week, and we’ll be back on the day before election day to catch up with y’all! Remember to vote! Fred and Linda Aboard YOUNG AMERICA

October 13, 2008

The five days we spent in Washington DC with the Great Harbour group (all wearing our grey Capital Cruise fleece jackets!) flew by! When touring the Capitol (Hillary’s office provided the guide), and the memorials that we’d not seen before (Jefferson and FDR) Fred and I decided it would be good for all elected officials to visit these inspiring places frequently, while carrying a pocket mirror. They could hold the mirror up after re-reading the dreams for our country, look themselves in the eye and ask “How am I doing?” Think it would help??? Arlington Cemetery and the changing of the guards was impressive. The eternal flame burns on at JFK’s grave. Washington’s Metro system and particularly the new Circulator Bus, made getting around really simple and convenient, and the Capital Yacht Club was a perfect place to stay. Easy walk to the bus, the fish markets, and the clubhouse!. On Thursday evening, friends from New York, Joe and Leslie McCarthy ‘stopped by’ (they were in the area to attend the Annapolis Boat Show) and we drove to Arlington to visit the Marine Memorial (we called it Iwo Jima) and the Pentagon, where the 184 benches were recently dedicated to honor the lives of those who were killed on 9/11/01. The memorial planners did a magnificent job. Each bench is inscribed with a name, and if appropriate, the names of other family members who died there that day. (Each person has a bench, arranged by year of birth.) The benches face either the path of the plane or the building. A night security guard shared many stories with us, and it was a very moving experience. One of the best parts of the week was spending time with the other boaters from the Mirage group. We had frequent happy hours and dinners together and it was great to get to know each other! On Friday, Fred and I stopped in at Mount Vernon to visit Geroge W’s home. Young America was literally tucked under the bow of the tour boat while we learned about making linen from flax and other Revolutionary things. Five of the seven Great Harbours meandered up Aquia Creek to celebrate the end of summer with the Aquia Harbor Yacht Club. This was another great group of people, and we especially enjoyed a skiff tour of the creek and canals that provide waterfront for the 2500 homes in the Association. Beautiful, secluded, private, and a great place to hide your boat in a hurricane. Very nice. Sunday we wound our way back out of the creek and headed down the Potomac to the Port Tobacco River (yes, tobacco was exported from there) and joined CAROLYNN ANN to ‘raft up’ for dinner. Joe, aboard CA, set the anchor, and Fred, aboard YA, drove up alongside so we could tie up and step across from boat to boat. It was a beautiful, still evening, followed by a gorgeous sunny day, and as I write this, YA is about to turn out of the Chesapeake Bay into the Patuxent River, where we will explore the Solomon Islands. See you next week, as we wend our way North to Baltimore, before leaving the boat for a week to visit our ‘vacation home’ in Newburgh. Fred and Linda

October 6, 2008

Greetings from Washington, DC! Last Monday the weather finally righted itself, the waves returned to normal, and Fred and I, at last, after 5 ’weather’ days, freed our lines from Atlantic Harbor, NJ. We started out around 8 am, expecting to go as far as seemed sensible. Well, turned out that sensible didn’t necessarily prevail, and we did our first boating overnight! We passed Atlantic City at dusk, and decided that we could go on to the tip of NJ. Arrived there at 10:30, and again decided not to stop, rather to snip the tip off NJ by cutting through the Cape May Canal. (2 days later we read the guidebook which strongly urged that boaters NOT go thru that particular canal after dark. We know why!) It was very, very tricky, but we went very, very slowly, and made it safely. After going about 10 miles in 2 hours we made a right turn into the Delaware Bay, heading north for the Chesapeake-Delaware (C&D) Canal where it was STILL very very dark! And then the Coast Guard reported that the C&D Canal was closed “until further notice”. Well, we were committed, so we pressed on. Fred napped from 5-6 a.m., and at 6, I’d just gone to sleep when the canal was pronounced open. I was up at 7--just as we entered, and it was a delightful passage. Heading south in the Chesapeake Bay now, we were almost to Annapolis when the Bay turned to junk--chop and wind and yuck, so we pulled into the Annapolis Town Dock, had ice cream and burritos and went to bed. Wednesday dawned beautifully, and we zipped down the Bay, turned into the Potomac River at 3:30, and were anchored in Horseshoe Cove in the St. Mary’s River and ready to join 6 other Mirage boats for a pot luck supper at 5:30! That was the beginning of the 2008 Great Harbor Trawler Association Capitol Cruise, and what a hoot it is! The seven look-alike trawlers have cruised together from that beginning point, where we explored historic St. Mary’s--the original capitol of Maryland, up to Colonial Harbor and Mattawoman Creek, past Mt. Vernon (we’ll stop in on the way back out) to Washington DC. Yesterday we docked at the Capitol Yacht Club. The Washington Monument provided a backdrop for the commemorative photo of 20 boaters, from CAROLYN ANN, LAZY DOLPHIN, LO QUE SE A, MOON BEAM, PUFFIN, SILVER QUEEN and YOUNG AMERICA. Boaters from AVOCET and BERLIE MAE are here sans boats, and a couple of former owners have joined the group as well. We’ll spend the week sight seeing and just ‘hanging out’. Tomorrow we’ll tour the Capitol, where the legislators, having done their deed, have gone home. I’m avoiding mention of the current political --I’m at a loss for a descriptive adjective. Suffice it to say that we watched the debates and are----no, I AM going to avoid political comment. See you next week------------ Linda and Fred Aboard YOUNG AMERICA

Monday, September 29, 2008

Welcome back! When last we ‘spoke’ YA was at her slip in Connelly and Fred and I were at HPC. We spent time with the kids and grandkids, visited every doctor and dentist we know--were cleaned, and viewed inside and out. Here is a day for you--I responded to a 1993 traffic ticket (DMV is cleaning up old records, apparently, and a not guilty plea earned me a $110 fine and NO moving violation.) From there I went directly to the colonoscopy center. Uffda. Not a day I’d like to repeat any time soon. The weather reports--a mariner’s most important friend, perhaps, said we’d have sunny beautiful weather for 10 days, and on Monday Fred drove the boat to Newburgh and I brought the car home and met him at the dock. Tuesday we were underway and LO the weather changed. We stopped before dark at Liberty Landing, and Wednesday morning were only able to make it to Sandy Hook, NJ before the swells became more than we wanted to deal with. So here we are, at the Atlantic Highlands Municipal marina, and here we shall stay until the weather says go. The tide has been uncommonly high, rain, wind, waves and fog uncommonly constant--we had whitecaps at the dock, behind a long breakwater! We’ve sneaked into the cute little one mile square town a couple of times, and once again are grateful for the soft sided wheely cooler that makes grocery shopping less burdensome! This is being written on Sunday, and we expect to head south tomorrow. See you next week! Fred and Linda, tucked in to wait out the storms.

Monday September 8, 2008

Monday September 8, 2008 Monday morning, August 25 was grey and foggy. Weather reports were promising though, so we headed out from Falmouth MA to Buzzard’s Bay, via Woods Hole. Fred allowed as how motoring through the skinny, rocky channel isn’t as challenging as sailing through, but nonetheless it was a delightful run. Much less boat traffic than on the weekend! Motoring along past the beautiful, uninhabited privately owned Elizabeth islands, we decided to put in at Cuttyhunk, the last stop in the Cape. What fun! Asa tied us up at the T dock, where we had to use our stepladder to leave the bow of the boat, so high was the tide. (In the morning the water had lowered the boat to match the dock--how fun is that?) We walked to the ‘business district’ where we found ice cream and ordered our lobsters for dinner. “Come back at 10 minutes to 6”, we were told, and the 1-¼ pounders would be boiled and ready--drawn butter and all. Sure enough, a 4 wheeler pulled up at exactly 5:50 and we tourists gathered around to collect our crustaceans. And a fine dinner it was--celebration of Fred’s birthday and the beginning of the end of phase one of our 4 part, 2 year journey on Young America. We’re heading home. The weather held on Tuesday and we made one long run along the Sound, ending just at dusk at the Norfolk Town Dock. Claude was there to give us our keys to the power outlets, and we enjoyed once again watching the crew teams and exercisers rowing in the River. Long Island Sound meets the East River at the Throg’s Neck Bridge, and the current was barely moving so we were able to ease on through that junction, fondly called “Hell’s Gate”. There was no turbulence and very little traffic. We rounded Manhattan with the camera poised. I’d learned on a Circle Line tour that there is one street which perfectly frames Trinity Church. Photo op, and I was ready! Don’t ya know the Circle Line boat slipped between me and the shot, as the guide encouraged passengers to ‘click quick’ . I took a picture of the Circle Line boat. New York harbor had the usual array of work and pleasure boats, including a Carnival Cruise Ship towering high above the water. We came into the 79th street boat basin in the afternoon and shared the dock with Clearwater, the boat built by Pete Seeger to clean up the Hudson. About 50 people went aboard for a 3 hour cruise--after Brian, the senior educator on the boat attempted to rescue my shoe! Silly story. As we were securing Young America’s lines in the wind and racing water, my left Sperry Topsider jumped off my foot (don’t ask) and merrily floated under the dock heading north to Newburgh! As it emerged from the other side of the dock, I just missed capturing it with a net; and missed again with a boathook! Brian yelled for the boathook, grabbed it and ran up the rope ladder to the end of the Clearwater bowsprit--and just missed the shoe. We (and the crowd gathered on the dock--it was New York, you know) then watched in awe as a tourist named Dennis (from Germany) jumped in his dinghy and motored upriver to capture the shoe. Dennis said, as I thanked him, “All my life I have want to be hero. You have made me hero. Thank you. If you lose your shoe again, call me. We are team!”. We all may have to revise our thinking about unfriendly New York! Thank you, Brian and Dennis! The rest of the evening was delightful as Fred and I enjoyed burgers and fries at the seasonal restaurant in the ‘cave’ at 79th street. Walked to Zabar’s for a cappachino, but missed them by 15 minutes, so we settled for a pleasant stroll in the City. Delicious! Thursday morning we motored off, heading for home. Clouds and light fog put the kibosh on a proposed photo op at Bannerman’s Island, so we tied up at Front Street to enjoy the Newburgh Harbor Festival. Called some friends to share the evening, and we laughed and talked and munched late into the evening, with the band ashore providing background music! (One topic was my frustration with formatting the blog. Special thanks to Jim B. for teaching me how to fix it.) Our new ‘old’ slip awaited us at Certified Marine in Connelly. Young America the houseboat lived 2 slips over for nearly 20 years, but Young America the trawler is 4’ wider, and, as we learned in June, needs a size XL slip! She’s nestled in there, and we’ve moved to our “vacation home” at 68 HPC once again. The huge pile of mail that was held by our favorite postman has been delivered and we’re landlubbers once again. We spent last week in Detroit at a US Power Squadron Governing Board meeting, and will be here in Newburgh until the third week of September. Part II of our four part, two year journey will begin then. We’ll be heading for the Florida Keys, and for the first major stop will join up with other Mirage Trawlers in the Chesapeake Bay to spend a week in the Potomac River and our nation’s capital. Check back in early October, and thanks for joining us on Part the first of our wonderful, delicious dream-come-true journey on Young America!

August 24, 2008

Monday, August 25, 2008

Last Monday was our last morning at Crocker’s Marina.  We’re off on a leisurely ride up the Thames River.  Went as far as the Mohegan Sun Casino, which suddenly rises up along the shore, with it’s humpteen story parking garage bearing a sign that says in huge letters “Park here and win a car like this!”  That was sort of in keeping with our feeling about the Thames.  Although there are lovely stretches with trees growing down to the water, those areas are outweighed by Electric Boat, the Coast Guard Academy, the Navy Submarine base (with huge bumpers and signs suggesting VERY strongly--along with a patrol boat to enforce--that you keep your distance) We didn’t get ashore to tour the Nautilus, the first ever nucular [spelling intentional] submarine, but waved was we went by.  We just  didn’t have that pastoral, serene experience we’ve found on other rivers.  Interesting, though.

Back in the Sound, we passed (and photographed) three tall ships--including our friend the Mystic Whaler--carrying, according to Cap’n John, 70 students on an educational tour.  It was after 5 when we tied up at the 400 foot long concrete wall called the North Parade inside the Mystic Seaport.  Had an outdoor dinner at the Seaman’s Inne, and enjoyed fireworks from across the bay.  On Tuesday we were up before the sun rose and walked to the Kitchen Kettle for a highly touted breakfast. Turned out the walk was the best part! Mystic Seaport’s many colonial volunteers make the village fun, and we visited many of the exhibits--their rope making isn’t nearly as manageable as Fred’s--they use a 250 foot long shed!    To exit Mystic, one must catch the bridge that opens at 40 minutes past the hour, so we aimed for, and caught, the 12:40 opening.  Just as we got near the mouth of the Mystic River, amidst a bazillion boats doing their best to hide the marker buoys, both navigation computer screens went black.  Fortunately, we had the paper charts ready and were able to continue our course, until Fred reset the GFI outlet that had blown for some reason, known only to the gods and goddesses!   Computer navigation is awesome---when it works!

It was a hop, skip and  a jump (figuratively speaking) to the artsy, cute village of Stonington where we picked up a Mooring.  It was hot but windy, and I took the launch to town to explore, while Fred flew Ernie the eagle kite from the dinghy deck.  What animal lovers in Stonington!   Many stores advertised doggie treats inside and filled puppy water dishes were kept along the sidewalk.  We both later launched back into town and walked to Noah’s Restaurant for dinner just as the annual 5K race around the green took place.  Fun.

In the morning we headed for Block Island. What a treat! Block Island, shaped like a pork chop, has a ‘hole’ in it’s center--the Great Salt Pond. To say it was packed with boats is an understatement.   We caught the last available public mooring ball and had a ringside seat as boats of all sizes--many dinghies with teens at the tiller-- zipped in and around the Pond.   We enjoyed fresh baked goods form Aldo the baker who peddled his wares from his little boat as he yelled “Andiamo!” at 8 am.  I walked a couple of miles over the hills to the Old Harbor port side of the island and came home with a fabulous lunch from the Spring House, recommended by the Harbormaster (a year round resident) and not listed in all the ads for the Island.  Magnificent.  Our dinghy exploration took us into quiet corners of the Pond, and all in all, we hated to leave.  By the way, our mooring was already captured by it’s next inhabitant when we finally let it go!

Back across BI Sound to Newport--I called it Port Jeff on steroids, Fred insists it’s just Newport!  He went to Navy OCS there (the other day)….and we enjoyed strolling to the local Stop ‘n’ Shop--and wheeling our groceries back (downhill) to the boat amidst the many many bustling shopping laughing dancing drinking dining tourists!

Next morning (Saturday) we were off to Vinyard Sound where we tied up at the Falmouth Town Dock. Daughter Linda Lee drove to Falmouth to meet us.  We took the nostalgic auto trip around town (Linda and Alan were born in Falmouth) and enjoyed revisiting the points of interest here and at Woods’ Hole, where Fred’ spent 14 years in Management at the Oceanographic Institute..

Sunday was, again, a magnificent summer day--bright sun, light breeze and moderate temperatures.  The weather was perfect for ducking into the Great Harbor at Woods Hole, Hadley’s Cove--WAY more boats there than 30 years ago--and across Vinyard Sound to Martha’s Vinyard.  What a hoot to tie up at the town dock in Vinyard Haven and join the other tourists for lunch and ice cream (yes we did stop at Mad Martha’s), and return to find Julie the harbormaster rafting another boat to Young America!  They untied so we could leave, and by 3:30 Linda was auto bound back to NY. 

And now it is Monday, and we’ll see you next week!   (Happy b’day, Fred!)

run on paragraphs

Hi allTHREE times I re-did my most recent post, and three times my paragraph editing went away when I published............makes for difficult reading, I know, and I'm open to suggestions--would love to know how to correct this!  Thanks.  L

(almost) Monday Aug. 18

Monday, August 18, 2008 AUGUST 18???  How did that happen so quickly?  I cleanly missed last Monday’s message--we weren’t on the boat, and therefore it didn’t get done.Monday August 4 was our last day in Essex. In the morning we dropped the mooring and went to the dock for water.  While the tanks were filling (300 gallons--it takes awhile!) I walked to town to do some last minute shopping and mail the mail.  By 1:15we were underway and were delighted to find that the traffic was light at the mouth of the CT river! The Sound was a bit lumpy as we headed east, but using the autopilot’s ‘following seas’ setting smoothed it out a bit.  We waved to Niantic as we passed and I smiled at the memories of happy summer visits to Crescent Beach in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. The next river we came to is the Thames (pronounced with a th and long a in America,  unlike the “Tems” River with the same spelling that can carry one from London to Greenwich, England).  Our chosen marina is Crocker’s Boat Works--a 127 year old marina tucked into Shaw’s Cove--behind a railroad bridge.  We arrived after closing time, but we had our slip number and tied up, then took a walking tour of the grounds--large swmming pool, a lot of interesting boat restoration, and they even have Curb your Dog poop bags hanging on poles all around the yard!  Everyone talks about it, Crocker does something about it--provides the clean up bags! Tuesday morning I took advantage of the pool while Fred did paperwork.  In the afternoon we walked to town and explored the historic district. It was here that the Amistad slaves were declared free men.   Found an office for the Mystic Whaler, the boat Cap’n John has brought to Newburgh every spring to help with Clearwater educational tours on the Hudson.  On Wednesday we changed our plan which had been to move the boat to the Shinnaccossett  Yacht Club at the mouth of the River.  Instead, we decided to stay on at Crocker’s and asked them to do some maintenance work, check out the watermaker, and put a water based finish on all the teak and holly floors.  At four, we motored off in a rental car, bound for Newburgh and points west! We spent the rest of the week in Aberdeen SD at my 50 year high school reunion.  What a hoot!  Had a pizza party with most of the family when we returned, and then spent two days cleaning up odds and ends, while waiting for the floors to dry!We returned to the boat on Friday and as I write this on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon, we are still here in New London.  The shower sump failed when we returned, and today we spent a couple of hours at the Defender Marine store--replacing the pump and finding many other goodies that seem very necessary to our daily life! By tomorrow (Monday), much as we hate to leave this delicious marina and all the nice people we’ve chatted with here, we expect to be off and heading for points east!   Catch up with you next week…..Hugs and love, Linda and Fred

August 4, 2008

Monday morning at Bridgeport. Brian the Lobsterman was up, as he always is, very early! We managed to be awake and watching when he brought his first catch of the day to the dock. He maneuvered his work boat with the amazing skill that comes with long practice. Back the boat up to the dock, leave the motor running, step off and tie two lobster cages to the pier, then drive away so the cages fall into the water to keep the ‘catch’ fresh. Move two cleats up the dock and repeat. Repeat until all cages are under water. Pick up empty cages from the dock and be off again! We’re told that the fishing has moved much farther out in the Sound as insectacides that killed the annoying mosquitoes several years ago also did in the local lobsters. Brian says he manages about 1000 lobster cages--lowering the empty and hauling in the full every day. Hard, heavy work in all kinds of weather. He’s put a face on the ‘lobster pot’ markers we see all over the water, and we enjoyed his great good humor. As we explored the Bridgeport harbor, we found a tug pushing a coal barge into a slot at the base of an amazing array of long, high conveyor belts. The barge had been loaded from a huge coal carrier anchored out in the Sound--too big to bring in and offload--and as we watched the coal was scooped up by a circle of buckets and poured onto the conveyers. There were choices--one set of belts went directly into the electricity generating power plant. “Our” coal was not needed immediately and went off to a huge storage pile outside. I remembered when Dansgammer on the Hudson had converted from ‘dirty’ coal to use the less expensive oil to create electricity. Economics has re-created the use of coal, but technology has changed the smoke from the Bridgeport stacks from black, polluting soot to white and clean. Saw no windmills anywhere around Bridgeport. Perhaps that will be next! Our destination in the Sound was a place called the Thimbles. These are a group of rocky eruptions that are said to recall the Maine coast. (We’ve not been there yet, so can’t speak to that…) We chose a spot to anchor in a protected area, and after THE rockiest nights we’ve spent on the boat (think seasick pills. I slept in the upper level where the dipping of the bow was less noticeable--the head of our bed was going down 40 degrees or so. Often.)On Tuesday we motored the dinghy ashore to have breakfast at Creekers and pick up some fresh fruit at the Market. The town is Stony Creek in Branford, and it is indeed a picturesque stop. One nght only for us! Tuesday and Wednesday nighs we were tied up at Cedar Island Marina, in Clinton CT. The marina (we were told) was a college graduation gift to the son of a shirt manufacturer. Dad’s 115’ yacht was tied up at a nearby dock. Customer care was the watchword here. Terri, the swimming pool attendant (where Hannah was available to do arts and crafts with kids all day) said that when the marina closed it’s grocery facility they began to provide a shuttle to town. It worked for me. Judy, a quilter and really fun lady, drove me all around the historic district (much of Clinton was built before 1850) and we admired the gorgeous gardens and (locally provided) cedar siding and shingles. Thence to get groceries at Stop and Shop--one of the stores with a ‘Peapod’ service. They will deliver your online order to your home for a $6.00 fee! Fred and I enjoyed visiting with a couple of Power Squadron members who were on their way to a Rendezvous across the Sound in Greensport. they were off and so, after fueling the boat, were we. Diesel fuel here was $4.85/gallen--a far cry from the highest we've seen, $5.66 in Port Jefferson! We’d planned on several days in the CT river, and we are still here! Entering the river at Saybrook Point, we found lots of current and lots of traffic. We spent one night in Saybrook, and on our dinghy explorations found lots and lots of places to tie up and anchor that were not listed in our books. Five miles up the river is Essex, and we’ve been here all weekend. The CT river is wide and deep, and before picking up a mooring in Essex we motored up as far as the Goodspeed Opera House. So beautiful a ride was it that we ran at only 5 mph, not our usual 'hurry up and get there' 6! We made a note of Hamburg Cove as we passed, and returned in the dinghy Saturday evening to motor in. Hamburg Cove surprisingly went on and on and on as beautiful woodlands and small marinas and quiet anchorages opened up around each bend. Well, almost all quiet--in one spot 5 boats were rafted together and having a great time dancing to their boom box. In a small motorboat around a curve from them, we passed a couple sipping wine while anchored under the trees. Delicious. On Saturday we'd had lunch with Ann,(who was my sister-in-law many years ago), her husband John, and the girls’ Cousin Kay. It was great to see them, to catch up and to reminisce about the good times we had when the children were little and Ann lived in Niantic--a block from the beach! After our dinghy ride on Saturday evening we relaxed aboard (and gave boat tours to people the launch driver brought by) and enjoyed the music from a wedding reception in a tent on the shore. Finding no UU Churches within 15 miles or so, Sunday morning I walked to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex. A special prayer was said there for the congregation and victims of a random shooting at a Knoxville, TN Unitarian Universalist Church, and also for the shooter. Fred and I spent Sunday afternoon cleaning--this boat has lots of great features, but it isn’t self cleaning! Fred power washed the decks while I attacked the inside. We ‘launched’ to shore just in time to watch the docking of Quinnipiac, an 80’ wooden schooner that has come to the River Museum here for a few days. Impressive. Had a nice dinner at the Black Seal followed by ice cream which we ate while sitting on a bench outside the Historic Griswold Inn. The ‘Gris’ generously provided live music for our listening pleasure. Ernie, our Eagle kite (we’ve not seen a live Eagle here, although we’re told that many are sighted here, especially in the winter) is flying in the breeze, and telling us it’s time to move on. So we’re off--and will ‘see’ you next week! Fred and Linda

Monday, July 28, 2008

Greetings from Bridgeport, CT!  If you look at a map, you’ll see that we’ve not covered a lot of miles this week, but we’ve had a wide variety of experiences on both shores of Long Island Sound!When we left you last Monday we were docked in Huntington Harbor at the West Side Marina.  We roamed Huntington Harbor in the dinghy, and discovered a restaurant with a dinghy dock.  Nice treat to have dinner 'out'.Tuesday morning Fred did ship's work--his list of projects is a pretty long one.  Many projects don't change the performance of the boat, but make it more conveninent or comfortable to use! As we left the Marina he found a satellite overlay (Google earth photo) in his navigation computer and using it was able to easily locate the channel through Huntington Harbor.  On the day the photo was taken there were almost as many boats as on the day we wound our way through, and it was much easier to see the ‘road’ from the sky!  Navigation has taken a new turn! Huntington Bay has six Harbors.  We passed Lloyd, looped in and out of Centerport, and went on to Northport, where we picked up Orange Mooring Ball #9--owned by Seymour Marina.  Time was when Harbors had lots of room to anchor, but with so many boats needing summer homes, most open spaces are filled with floating mooring balls tied to huge, heavy ‘mushrooms’ that sit on the bottom and hold a boat in place.  Marinas place moorings in the water and are able to rent the space (and provide launch service to shore) to transients like us.  We went ashore in our dinghy and walked about the cute little town--found fresh fruit and flowers, as well as the obligatory ice cream!Rain poured down on us while we ate dinner, and then it cleared to a beautiful starry night.  At midnight when we turned in, the fish were jumpin’--now I understand  Summertime from ‘Porgy and Bess’!  Schools of them surrounded the boat with backfins out of the water just like miniature sharks!It was a wet Wednesday!  Thundershowers about every half hour from 6:30 am till noon.  The afternoon cleared, though, and so I took the Seymour’s Launch, and then a taxi (I only had to taxi one way, as a guide at the museum lives in Northport and offered  me a ride ‘home‘.) to the William Vanderbilt Mansion that overlooks Northport, but is actually located in Centerport.  I visited the dinosaur exhibit, skipped the planetarium show, and spent 3 hours wandering through the Mansion and Marine Museum.  ‘Willie’, as he’s called by the locals, was a great grandson of Cornelius--who had 13 children, many many descendants, and a fortune large enough to support them all.  Willie didn’t need to work, so he devoted 30 years of his life to marine activities--and creating this museum for Suffolk County.  He sailed his 151’ yacht Alva around the world--visiting  heads of state in many countries (his wife had 15 steamer trunks of clothing aboard), and collecting and meticulously documenting an amazing variety of marine specimens, which are on display in the two story Marine Museum.  When WWII broke out,willie donated Alva to the Navy, and she was camouflaged (to no avail), and refitted to suit military purposes.  Sadly, she was sunk by a Germam Uboat off the coast of NC.   Ironically, Alva was built in the same German shipyard as the U Boat that destroyed her.  Plan A was for Fred and I to return to the Mansion for an outdoor presentation of Romeo and Juliet, but a very large, very black cloud deterred us, and boy did it rain!  We were snug in our floating condo. Thursday morning we motored east toward Port Jefferson, making a brief detour into Eaton’s Cove where the Coast Guard has the 4th busiest station in the country. (San Francisco, Miami and Cape May out-busy Eaton’s, in case you’d want to know.  I did.)  We spent two days in Port Jeff--a former shipbuilding center named for Thomas Jefferson--highlights included (but were not limited to: A concert in the Village Green by Milagro, a group that played a very good tribute to Santana Being tied up next to a boat from Newburgh NY--a couple whom we’ve never met, but will probably run into in the grocery store very soon Enjoying the summer beach town atmosphere--it almost felt like a carnival…. A large variety of ice cream stores within walking distance On Friday afternoon we came back across the Sound to the Connecticut shore.  En route, in addition to staying out of the way of the Port Jeff-Bridgeport Ferry Boats, we practiced kite flying!  Saturday was a Power Squadron event at the harbor, and we enjoyed spending the day with friends--business meeting in the morning and very un-business-like dinghy races (blindfolded), kite and paper airplane flying contests, hula hooping and yo-yo competitions all afternoon.  The festivities concluded with a lobster dinner and a Big Band singer who entertained--and had to compete with the Brazillian Luau that started downstairs at 10pm.  Over 1000 young people partied until 2am! 4 other Power Squadron members had come to the event by boat (and one in a "Land Yacht"--a 35’ RV).  We all had Sunday brunch at the RV’s parking lot, then, as the weather worsened, 8 of us gathered on YA for a late lunch and early movie.  It thundered, lightninged, rained and blew and we didn’t care a bit. Today the sun is shining.  One boat went home early this morning and has phoned to say that the waves were one to two inches high on the Sound.  So we’re off to points East! See you next week!Fred and Linda

Monday, July 21, 2008

Last Monday’s rainy morning gave way to a beautiful afternoon, and after some conversations about the Five Mile River at Rowayton CT, we opted to tie up at the Town Dock in Norwalk, CT. ‘Twas a very hospitable spot for us, but we’re told that in Revolutionary War times, whaleboat crews darted in and out of this rocky harbor to harass British Ships. Power Squadron friends Jeff and Norma Gerwig joined us for a delightful evening visit. Next morning we set off to explore Ziegler’s Cove, where we picked up a mooring (first time) and took the dinghy down for a lazy ride. The dinghy lives atop YA, and we’re becoming more and more proficient at launching and retrieving it. These old dogs are learning lots of new tricks! We set off in the afternoon to cross to the South Shore of the Sound, (which is the North Shore of Long Island) to tie up alongside “Breezy”, Joe and Leslie McCarthy’s sailboat in Oyster Harbor. Had a good laugh when Leslie phoned to see if we were underway, only to turn 180 degrees and see YA’s big bow bearing down on her! She yelped! Once YA was securely rafted to Breezy, the Oyster Bay launch took us ashore for dinner and ice cream--and grocery shopping! Nice! We stayed with Breezy until Thursday morning--enjoyed relaxation, ‘shipswork’, and dinghy rides around the Harbor and under the bridge to Bellville. Oyster Bay is the home of one of the oldest Yacht Clubs in the USA--Seawanhaka-Corinthian. According to our Cruising Guide, it was here that do-it-yourself boaters introduced the concept of being skipper and crew on their own boats, a radical change from the hired skipper and crew used by the wealthier yachtsmen. The great American way! Oysters are actually harvested (and seeded) in Oyster Bay--around the edges in the summer, and in the center when all the boats and their moorings have been put away for the winter. We had dinner under a nearly full moon with Joe and Leslie, and in the morning we had coffee and a chat with a Power Squadron friend who’d just toured Teddy Roosevelt’s home--Sagamore Hill was his little White House. It is located about a mile and a half from the viillage of Oyster Bay. On our way to our next stop, Cold Spring Harbor, we passed Malcolm Forbes’ 151’ yacht, the Highlander, complete with heliport. Google says that this is the fifth Forbes boat with that name. We waved from the fourth boat (that we know of) named Young America. The four Forbes sons entertain on the Highlander from April-Nov. and the decks were crowded. Cold Spring Harbor was once a busy whaling port, and we docked overnight at the Whaler’s Cove Marina. Sunday morning we missed connections with the Huntington UU Fellowship, so we left early to sneak up the bay into the Sand Hole. We anchored there for the afternoon and I had a great swim--saw NO purple jellyfish. They’d stung me in Stamford, and chased me out of Oyster Bay! Two swans followed our every move. By late afternoon the Hole was filled with boats full of families spending Sunday afternoon swimming and relaxing. We moved on to Huntington Harbor, with great care. How many sailboats could there be? And are they all moored or moving together right here? To give you an idea, we’re nestled into the West Shore Marina, which has 250 slips. It is one of nine marinas we had to choose from. This afternoon we walked to the Marine store, lunched on the lawn by the pool, and then spent half an hour watching a school of Bunker fish circle and leap in front of our bow. Apparently they are regulars in the Harbor at high tide. It’s cool enough now that Fred is heading up to the dinghy to affix it’s registration numbers and decals--make it legal. This is our home, and like every home, there is always something! See you next week…… Fred and Linda

Monday, July 14, 2008 Last Thursday, July 10, while I attended a meeting with the Building Committee, architects and contractor of the new UUCRT building (the church that burned 09/12/2006) Fred motored YA down the Hudson from Kingston to Newburgh. After a brief tie up at the Front Street Marina to load the carful of ‘stuff’ that we NEED on the boat, we left the car in Molly’s office parking lot on Front Street and we’re off! We spent the night anchored near Cold Spring (about a 15 mile run) in a beautiful cove. The town of Phillipsburg has created a small park and beach on the Hudson’s shores and we were delighted to see families relaxing there. We also enjoyed their bonfire from afar! And thanks to Pete Seeger’s efforts to get the Hudson cleaned up, I, like the families ashore, was perfectly comfortable to swim in the River! It is good to once again have swimming as my exercise plan! Traffic was minimal in the Hudson, even below the George Washington Bridge, so we had a very nice ride to NYC. By 5:30 pm we were once again tied up at Liberty Landing, and after dinner, took a long walk around the park. The statue was alight in the harbor, and the park was quietly delicious. Next morning we moved closer to the statue (photo op) and it is a tribute to Fred’s piloting that we got out of the harbor unscathed. Ferries, tugs and barges, water taxis, excursion boats, recreational boaters—motor and sail and even a couple of kayaks came from all sides in a steady stream. The overhead trams at Roosevelt Island added to the fun, but didn’t create navigational issues! Soon the Throg’s Neck Bridge was behind us. We’d left the East River and Manhattan and headed into Long Island Sound. How many sailboats are there? LOTS! The Sound was literally covered—many racing (at Larchmont) but most just enjoying a beautiful summer weekend. We moseyed along toward our stopping place, the Palmer Point Marina in Cos Cob, CT. Again, we took an after dinner walk. This time to the local Baskin Robbins store for ice cream! Really early the next morning we lowered the dinghy and took a sunrise cruise around the Mianus River and it’s environs. The fishermen were out, and the occasional scull with a hardy rower, and we spent some time exploring the Bridgeport Cove as well. Nice. Our cruise for the day was a very short jump to Stamford where we explored both the West and (briefly) East forks of the inlet, and then we tucked in behind the breakwater and anchored among the many Sunday cruisers. By late afternoon we were nearly alone in the anchorage and I swam a bit before dinner. It was a beautiful moonlit evening and we enjoyed the breezes coming in the hatches and ports. At 6 am it was driving rain coming in those hatches and ports, and we scurried to batten down. When the rain softened, I moved the avocado plant and geranium out to the deck so they could have a drink. The salt air burns their leaves, so they must live indoors, but they must not mind, as we see constant red blossoms and new growth. The aero garden has about finished it’s first round. The lettuce, chives and thyme are done; parsley is waning, and even the basil seems to be ready to retire. This is the first basil plant I’ve ever had the grew faster than I ate the leaves, and we’ll have a yummy pesto very soon. Apparently having only one cherry tomato plant is a problem for the garden (maybe not enough cross-pollination--it is designed to have 3 plants at a time, but I replaced the others with lettuce and herbs). Two green tomatoes are slowly ripening and new flowers open daily, so we haven’t given up on it yet! Stay tuned. On that cheery note, I’ll sign off. Jenny and Kris have opened the BLOG door for me, so I’ll see you there! Look forward to your comments and participation as you join us on our journey! Linda and Fred Aboard YOUNG AMERICA Long Island Sound

Barely Monday morning. (It's 11:14 am as I begin to write--may be tomorrow before I finish) And a few weeks since last I wrote. So here's what's up. At the end of the June 15 message we were just south of Ocean City, NJ and fighting with the NJ boaters and the NJ ICW. The Waterway from Cape May to Ocean City is shallow, narrow and totally twisted. Not to mention full of boaters. [Some of whom are also twisted, per Fred.] While it is really great to see NJ boaters out enjoying the water, it was far from a relaxing ride for us. So when the Waterway Guide (the Road Atlas for boaters) suggested that many people go out in the Atlantic Ocean for the 8 mile run from Ocean City to Atlantic City, we jumped right on that idea. Young America was very happy to have more than just a few feet of water under her keel, and it was a good 'trial' run in the Ocean for us--in sight of shore, short, and, just to keep our interest up, the weatherman said thunderstorms were approaching. We motored into Atlantic City and tied up at the Trump Marina--adjacent to the Casino. By the time we'd parlayed my $20 into $30 (not the $500K I'd dreamed of for the UU Church, but enough to apply to one of the worst buffet dinners we've ever had anywhere) and returned to the boat, the marina was filling up with boats and the rain began. It was, indeed, a dramatic thunder and lightning show, and by morning the sky was blue and the ocean called. So off we went and the next thing we knew we were approaching the New York Harbor! Big boats everywhere! Ferries, Cruise ships, barges and tugs--and when we'd gotten thru the busy part of the commercial area, there were sailboats racing east to west and back again across the Hudson. Skipper Fred 'sailed' YA through the melee without interrupting anyone's run! We tied up in the Liberty Landing Marina--just past the Statue, and once again Tarryn came to our rescue. This time she was with her mom, Kris, and together we jumped in the car to get home to Newburgh. (Fred and I had appointments in Nbg. on Wed. am). Friday morning we picked up grandson JT and drove back to the boat (in a one way rental car) for the splendid run up the Hudson River to Newburgh. The Hudson truly is magnificent and we enjoyed the beauty as well as the familiarity! Molly and Jeff picked up JT in Newburgh--we were tied up at Front Street--just outside the River Grill, scene of our marriage nearly 4 years ago. Sat. am we got an early enough start that we were able to anchor at the mouth of Rondout Creek for a half hour and put up the big flag (see prior message) and tie a stream of signal flags from stem to stern to 'dress up' YA. We made our triumphal run up the Creek to Certified Marine where Young America the Houseboat has been docked for nearly 20 years, and we arrived on Saturday, June 21 at 1:15 pm-- exactly the time we'd predicted! The band was playing Anchors Aweigh and 40+ friends and relatives were at the dock to say hello to our dream come true. It was a great afternoon--spitting rain didn't daunt the festive atmosphere. Fred spoke appropriate words about the boat and I broke a bottle of bubbly on her anchor (not the fiberglass bow where it might chip). For the next three weeks, we operated from our “Vacation home” at High Point Circle, spending time at the Marina as needed to make Young America ship-shape for the next leg of the 2 year adventure! More to follow! Linda and Fred

June 15, 2008

Hi all, Getting a jump on this message as we have a w-ifi connection tonight and who knows what tomorrow will bring? Many Marinas provide a free connection, but they don't always work so well..... the trip has changed dramatically this week! Monday we passed through the NC Forest Fire zone. We couldn't see the fire, but could sure smell the smoke, and I hosed down the boat to get rid of the ash Monday night. Tues. am it was covered again! Uffda. We crossed the Albamorale Sound--a bit bouncy as the winds and water play games with each other. In the afternoon, we were back in a little river, and then Turner's Cut--one of the most beautiful stretches on the trip so far! It felt like being inside a painting--trees right down to the water's edge with reflections sending back more shades of green than one would think possible! We tied the boat to posts outside the lock at South Mills, NC Tuesday night, and in the morning entered the Dismal Swamp Canal--the end of the rural part of the trip. We exited the Swamp into Norfolk--busy and bustling with recreational, commercial and lots and lots of Naval boats--but surprisingly easy to navigate! Leaving Norfolk, we wound our way into Chesapeake Bay, and were delighted to find that both days we spent in the Bay, the wind and water conditions gave us a nice ride. Last night we were in a Marina in the Chesapeake-Delaware Cansl, and this morning ran down the Del. River (much different from the rocky, rapid part of the DE River that flows past Camp Tel Yehudah!) into the Delaware Bay and lo and behold, next thing you know we're in New Jersey! We laughed and laughed at how many boaters could be buzzing around on a Sunday afternoon! After 2 hours of playing 'dodge-em' with the boats while navigating and steering so the boat stayed off the bottom and continued to float, it was time to tie up---a 76 mile day, our longest so far! So here we are, just south of Ocean City NJ and looking forward to being home soon! happy Father's day to all you dads out there! Hope it's been a great week for all.... Love Linda and Fred Vote for your city's best dining and nightlife. City's Best 2008.

June 9, 2008

Monday, June 9, 2008 A week gone by? Hard to believe, but true! Last Monday we were at Isle of Palms Marina near Charleston, Mile Marker 458. Today we are at Belhaven, NC, Mile Marker 136, Moving North! The calendar says that Summer is two weeks away, but folks in NC are telling us that not only has summer arrived, there was no spring this year. One day it was cold, and the next was, like today, HH&H. At 8 this morning it was 82 degrees, and now, at 10:30 pm, it has about come back down to that! Our generator with it’s 2 zone a/c has kept us in the 77 degree area, and mercifully takes away the humidity, which is way, way up there! So while the smells of NC--such as ocean, foliage, paper mills, etc. are lost to us, we certainly have enjoyed the sights and especially the people. Before leaving Isle of Palms last week, we were ‘boarded’ by three Coast Guard Ausillary members who conducted a Vessel Safety Check for us. Once underway, we were amused by the huge homes with long long long docks--and in the center of one such row, the proverbial ‘junkyard’--a mobile home with junked boats and boat parts to offset the elegance. The Army Corps of Engineers commits to keeping the ICW Channel at a constant 12 feet deep, but the channel is NOT wide in many places, and in those stretches the boat bears constant watching to keep it on course. We touched bottom once in this stretch--and others, but kept going. Porpoises jump out of the water off our bow frequently, and a flock of egrets surrounded the boat in one narrow patch. By 6 pm we were in historic Georgetown where we dropped the anchor, but we pulled it right up again and went to the dock. (The man watching us anchor from a nearby boat was very glad we didn’t stay--given the wind and current, there just wasn’t enough room) We were tied up next to a group of Power Squadron guys, and had a great chat with them. Wednesday was our first ‘low bridge day’. Most waterway bridges are 65 feet high, but there are many that are 20‘ or less, and so road traffic must be interrupted for boat traffic. Many low bridges open on schedules, and we only had a 15 minute wait at the first one we approached. We crossed into NC around 4:30, after passing many many new condo construction projects--one of which actually looked pretty enough to live in. Most are cookie cutter copies of each other. The only pontoon bridge (zero feet clearance) left on the Atlantic ICW (There are several on the Gulf Coast) floated to the side so we could pass through just as we approached. Neat. The NC coast has a very different character from SC! The ocean is just a mile or two away--separated from the ICW by barrier islands with rivers and inlets every few miles. That means that the currents are unpredictable, and the bottom even more so. Every storm changes it, and ‘shoaling’ is the by-word! The anchorage we’d planned on turned out to be one of those shoaled areas--we ‘kissed the bottom’ and could see that it was very unpredictable as we headed for the lovely smooth water around the bend, so we very carefully retreated and headed to the next marina. On the way there, we saw a “dockage” sign and a man on said dock. Looked good to us, and 15 minutes later we tied up with him. New dock owner, getting established with his seafood store, and for dinner that night we had huge shrimp--fresh caught-- in a fine scampi sauce. Thursday found us in the Cape Fear River--felt like home (very Hudson-like) to Fred with it’s wide shores. Our Marina choice was at the end of a ‘cut’ , and although we were only a short walk (¼ mile) from the ocean, we decided to simply veg on the boat. It was a delicious afternoon and evening. Friday we jockeyed for position while waiting for 3 different bridges. At Wrightsville, the marina and lots of small boats made it interesting. Four miles later the Figure Eight opened 5 minutes after our arrival. We crossed the 18 miles to the Surf City Bridge in record time, (the current was pushing us to 8.2 mph!) but still had a 50 minute wait for the bridge. Very exciting as more and more boats arrived--including one rude one who plowed through to be first in line! The Stump Sound and Alligator Bay were a lovely passage, and Fred did a great job with tricky currents of docking us at the Swan Point Marina--just across the dock from the big guy mentioned above! Paul and Becky are new marina owners and have a fabulous ship’s store. We got fuel ($4.30/gal--50 cents less than SC, where we’d decided to wait) and a great buy on an adaptor for our power cord! We celebrated by taking their courtesy car into town for dinner at the Riverside Café, and topped it off with ice cream from our freezer! Saturday we motored through the Bogue (Bogus?) Sound--water just outside the ICW channel is 1-3 feet deep as it extends to the barrier islands. Makes for interesting water movement, though, as you cross inlets to the ocean. We passed right through the twin cities of Morehead City and Beaufort--where the water is ocean green and clear! We had reservations at the Sea Gate marina (which surprised Becky when we called--Betty’d not written us in the book the day before). Ended up at the fuel dock, which worked just fine. And diesel fuel was 35 cents/gal. more than we’d paid at Swan Point! This is a community marina with a clubhouse and most of the slips are owned by the member-neighbors. The ‘gang’ was drinking coffee on the porch at 7:30 am, and there I learned of the tragic run of Big Brown at Belnont. So sad. Sunday was a totally different sort of day. We were in the widest river in America--the Neuse--six miles across--followed by the Bay River, and then an ICW ‘cut’ to the Pamlico River. Here we left the ICW and motored into the Pongo River to stop at Belhaven Watrway Marina. All that wide and deep water required very little navigating, so I cleaned and puttered and Fred took long breaks and read! Wow what a day! After we were docked, we spent over an hour showing the boat to Brent, a man who’s spent as much time on Mirage Mfg.’s website as Fred did before we ordered the boat. He heard us on the radio and recognized the boat’s name from Ewen’s lightning webpage (remember that?) and hailed us, hoping to see a Mirage boat live and in person. It was fun to see how much he enjoyed the tour! So here we are. And there you are--perhaps given TMI, but hey, you are big kids and get to choose what you read and what you discard. We’re just sending it out there! Until next week, love and hugs from Linda and Fred

June 2, 2008

Hi all--from just north of Charleston, SC We've had a fun and busy week! The City of Green Cove Springs had a wonderful Memorial Day Fireworks display last Monday evening, which we enjoyed from the deck of Young America. A very nice sendoff for us! On Tuesday morning, we picked Tarryn and her friend Megan up from the JAX airport, and brought them to the boat. Had a fun day and evening--we motored back to the Outback Crab Shack, then anchored the boat across the river from the dock and had our first sleep over guests! The bed worked just fine, they said! So did the deck, for sunning! Wed. am, the girls drove away, heading for Newburgh in the 'Burb' and we drove away 12 minutes later in the boat! We made it all the way to Jacksonville that day--29 miles! Tied up at the town dock and treated ourselves to a water taxi ride and a really nice dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House. Another couple was with us on their Mirage Boat named Avocet. It was a very pleasant evening. Thursday we were up and at 'em, and followed Avocet as far as Fernandina Beach, the northernmost part of FL. They stopped there, and we went on to Jeckyll Island, GA. Saw my first manatee there--a huge guy who did all the things people have said manatees do--he held the hose and drank fresh water, rolled over to have his belly scratched and generally entertained all who gathered. Silly looking animal, it is! We listened to the Wharf Ratz play live music from the clubhouse --a young crowd that rocked far into the night! Friday morning we took a little side trip around the Island--a bellman from the hotel came and picked us up so we could have brunch and see where the Rockefellers, Morgans, Pulitizers etc had 'cottages' (20 or so bedroom 'cottages'). Lovely old homes and beautiful gardens. Got a ride back to the boat and we were off again. The next island we passed is St. Simons--home of the bellman we met in the morning. He reminded us that Pres. Carter used that island for a Little White House--and that a G8 summit was held there. The natives were most unhappy--didn't want their island discovered! Friday evening we anchored in Kilkenney Creek. it was beautifully quiet and our anchor held perfectly! We would have had an early start except that the engines didn't run! We'd been bounced around a bit crossing a couple of Sounds, and think that the fuel tank got stirred up. Changing the filters cleared the problem, and away we went! We are having fun with the navigating and driving of the boat--there is electronic navigational equipment that Fred is learning to use (and I less so) but we also have the tried and true paper charts out with the little brass pelican marking our location as we move from mile to mile! We went through many rivers and crossed many sounds in GA. Often we found ourselves looking out toward Portugal, as the Sound we were crossing emptied into the North Atlantic, In the late afternoon, we crossed the Savannah River, thereby meeting the insurance requirement that we be North of Savannah and presumably out of the Hurricane Season by June 1. We went on past the city of Savannah, and crossing the Calibogue Sound, docked at Hilton Head Island. Very busy, very noisy, and very nice, and we ate and slept and were off again by 9:30 Sunday morning. Sixty some miles (and 10 hours) later we put the anchor down in Tom's Point Creek. The sunset was magnificent, as we ate dinner on the deck. The thunder and lightning started at 1 am, just as I was putting down my book and Fred was closing the computer. The tide was out--way out--the water was 6' lower than when we'd anchored, and the mud was rising. Fortunately, we stayed in a foot or so of water until the tide changed and by 8 am we once again had 8 feet of H20 beneath us. We motored back to the N. Edisto River, past Toogoodoo Creek, up the Coosaw River to the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff and the Ashepoo River, thence to the Stono River and the Elliott Cut (Wapoo Creek) to the Ashley River at Charleston! Aren't the names great? The Charleston harbor was calm and quiet, and soon we were passing Mt. Pleasant and arriving at the Isle of Palms Marina. Chase, the dockmaster, is an adorable young man who graduated with a Bsns and Corp,. Communications degree, wore a suit for two months, and snapped at a job with boats and water. He's not sure that his mom and dad are too happy, but he certainly is! And that is the saga of the beginning of our trip. We're loving each day---and looking forward to our next trip down the waterway when we'll take time to explore more of the little side creeks and towns! This is a great introductory course, though! So long for now.... Linda and Fred