November 4, 2015 – Morehead
City to Fernandian Beach, FL
“If I were giving a young man advice as to
how he might succeed in life, I would say to him, pick out a good
father and mother..” Wilber Wright
10/08/2015 Morehead City to Wrightsville
Beach, NC 82 nm
10/09-10/2015 Wrightsville Beach to Lady's
Island Marina, Beaufort, SC 212 nm
10/19/2015 Beaufort to Bull Ck, SC 27
nm
10/20/2015 Bull Ck to Buckhead Ck,
GA 40 nm
10/21/2015 Buckhead Ck to Kilkenny Ck,
GA 9 nm
10/22/2015 Kilkenny Ck to Fredereica river,
GA 50 nm
10/24/2015 Frederecia River to Brunswick
Landing Marina, Brunswick, GA 15 nm
10/31/2015 Brunswick Landing to Brickhill
River (Cumberland Island), GA 21 nm
11/02/2015 Brickhill River to Fernandian
Beach, FL 21 nm
Total Miles To Date: 477 nm
A pair of dolphin arched their way to
the stern of the Turtle just as the colors of dawn spread across the
marsh. I could hear the unseen explosion of the pelican's plunge as
they dove for their breakfast just off the confluence of the
Brickhill river and the little creek that lead inland. My little
world was at peace welcoming the dawn and so was I. It was a time to
enjoy a quite cup of coffee and reflect on the past weeks voyage.
Bucket list...Wrightsville to
Beaufort, SC
For 30 years my
best bud Mike Yount and I had been dreaming of an off shore trip
around Cape Fear to Charleston, SC, but for some reason or another it
just never happened – weather, timing, commitments and a muddle of
others. That off shore passage had lain dormant in my “bucket
list” forever. Hurricane Joaquin was going to change that for
Gigi and I...and change this years cruise as well.
After Joaquin
passed Morehead it left us with 3 days of excellent calm weather and
a real problem for the ICW in NC, SC, and GA...big time flooding. It
didn't take long for us to make our decision. We would jump off
shore to Wrightsville spend the night and then go back out around
Cape Fear and in at St. Helena Sound and up the Coosaw River to
Beaufort, SC.
The trip off shore
to Wrightsville was as good as it gets except for having to dodge a
war ship or two off Camp LeJeune engaged in maneuvers including a
helicopter and harrier jump jet aircraft carrier and a hover craft
doing it's hovering thing at speed...pretty impressive I must say.
By my estimation
it would be about a 24 hour trip from Wrightsville to the entrance
buoy for St. Helena Sound so at 7:30 with the first good light the
Turtle hauled her anchor and were at sea by 8:30 AM headed for a new
adventure and a check mark on my “bucket list.”
There are only 2
spots in the whole trip that require a little “attention.” The
first is Frying Pan Shoal Slue, a narrow channel thru Frying Pan
Shoal that stenches from the Cape Fear about 15 miles out to sea. The
second is the big open water entrance to St. Helena Sound and good
visibility would be a real plus when we hit the outer buoy.
About 2 miles out
of Flying Pan the GPS quit. What the heck..or words to that effect!
After a moment or two of an “Oh! Shit!” attack we calmed down
and remembered we have 3 backups aboard – Gigi's iPad with minimal
chartplotter App (works quite well by the way), Navigational software
in the computer (already up and running below), and a compass. I
shut the chartplotter down and restarted it cold and it came back to
life (it was to periodically take a break over the next 20 hours).
Two days later I called Garmin and after 2 hours on the phone with
them the problem was diagnosed as a combination of software and an
antenna going bad. I downloaded a software update and installed a
new antenna and the GPS is now good to go.
 |
| Frying Pan Shoal Slue Mark |
Gigi and I have
always enjoyed our night passages...star filled nights with little
land light pollution. If you have not been at sea on a dark star
filled night you have truly miss one of the great beauties in this
world. About an hour before dusk I fixed pork chops on the grill
for supper, Gigi cleaned up after, and I prepared the boat for a
night at sea. When I flipped on the navigation lights the port light
(red) and stern light (white) came on but the starboard (green) did
not...shit another gremlin. I left them on for a few minutes and
cycled the switch and the stern and starboard came on but the port
didn't...has to be corrosion somewhere. Finally they all came on and
stayed on..another job when we get into Beaufort (I was right by the
way, all the contacts on the bulbs needed cleaning).
We hit the sea
buoy for St.Helena Sound at 7:35 AM with plenty of light to work our
way in but with a light fog. We had shut the navigation lights down
at sunup but with the fog nav lights are required by rule. This
time they stubbornly refused to re-light at all. There had been
rumors that some of the St. Helena sound markers were off station or
no longer there period. The rumors turned out to be wrong...at least
something was going right.
By 11:45 AM we
tied up at Lady's Island Marina in a driving rain storm. Steve, the
dockmaster, welcomed us “home.” Lady's Island does feel like
home...a week later as we warped the Turtle off the dock heading
South Steve hollered from the dock, “ Ya know what they call folk
that leave Lady's Island? Quitters!.”
 |
| Lady's Island Marina |
While at Lady's
Island my cousin Stacy and her husband Paul gave me one fine gift.
They brought my Aunt Christine for a visit. Christine is the last of
my Dad's sisters and is quite dear to me. It made my year. Thank
you Stacy and Paul. Time is the best gift a person can give.
A Different Adventure This Year..
I knew from the
start this year would not be normal. Hurricane Joaquin made sure of
that. The South end of Long Island, Rum Cay, Crooked and Atkin
Islands and San Salvador sat under the eye of Joaquin for 2 days
before he moved on. The islands were over washed homes destroyed,
schools in ruins, stores gone. Little was left even the palm trees
had been stripped of fonds that they use to make their beautiful
baskets and hats. Gigi, Salty Turtle, and I knew we could not sit
back and do nothing. We had to give back to the communities that
have been so good to us with their time, friendship, and open hearts.
It is our turn to give.
She looked at me,
I looked at her, and the Turtle said, “load me to waterline with
stuff for the kids and I will get you to Long Island by Christmas.”
And so a pact was made between the three of us and with the help of
friends we are doing just that. My my Aunt Christine, cousin Stacy,
and her husband Paul Brannon brought us the first load while we were
at Lady's Island. Bill Morris, Helen and Bill Brinson, and John and
Vicki Skemp sent toys and books. Steve and Aggie Knox not only
contributed toys, books, and clothes but have allowed us to use their
home to have stuff mailed to them for pickup when we reach
Titusville.
If any of you want
to raid your attic and help you can send clean children clothes (all
ages), books, school supplies, good used toys, games, sports
equipment, etc. to us and we will stuff the Turtle till the water
line doesn't show. Give me a call (242-944-5514) or drop me an email
(oconee382@yahoo.com) and I
will get you and address to send your stuff – cut off date
Thanksgiving.
We hope to leave
for the Bahamas as soon after Thanksgiving as possible and beat feet
for Long Island as fast as Salty Turtle and the weather will allow,
deliver our stuff to our contacts on Long, and then assess how we can
help or if we can be of further assistance. Then.....who knows?
A Maze of Marsh:
We spent a couple
of peaceful days anchored by ourselves in bend of the Brickhill River
with salt marsh to our West and Cumberland Island to our East. There
were no other boats anchored in the river. It was ours to enjoy the
beautiful sunsets and sunrises, speak to the dolphin as they cruised
by to examine Salty Turtle (and us), and listen to call of the
numerous water fowl as they discussed their day. You can sit in the
Brickhill and see the boats across the marsh on the ICW a few miles
distant on their own mission headed South. I've always wondered,
“Why don't they stop” This is a wonderful anchorage. Full of
nature's magic and healing peace.” But they don't stop and the
magic belonged to Salty Turtle... at least for a while.
 |
| Frederica River |
The Brickhill
winds it's way for about 5 miles thru a salt marsh that extends from
Cumberland to the horizon. The Marsh is almost a sea unto it's self
with small creeks and waterie leads that thread their way thru the
marsh in a maze of tributaries and dead ends. After a good nights
sleep Gigi and I decided to take the dink, head over to Plumb
Orchard, and try and catch the tour or just go for a walk on
Cumberland.
It's about a 4
mile dingy ride from our anchorage to Plum Orchard so off we went.
I'd taken a quick look at the chart before we left and noticed
Mumford Creek wound thru the marsh and back to the Brickhill about a
mile from Plum Orchard. “Let's do a little exploring,” says I.
Right here is where I made my first error...
We ran Mule (dink)
to the tree line on Cumberland in deep water and followed a lead that
lead to the over head power cables that supplied the island with
electricity...until the water ran out that is and we were just at the
start of the ebb (high dropping tide). Time to do turn about. We
followed what we thought was the main body of the Mumford until it
dead ended within sight of the Brickhill but no way thru. Some how
we had missed the lead that would take us thru to the Brickhill.
Time to give up, do a back stroke, and go back the way we had come to
the Brickhill. Easier said than done that was.
All the leads and
creeks started to look alike – marsh grass is marsh grass ya know.
We could see the Turtle across the marsh about 2 miles distant. We
could see the terminus of the power lines that we knew ended on the
Brickhill. But...we couldn't seem to get there. Up one lead...dead
end. Up the next same story. At times we could see the main channel
of the Brickhill or Mumford (or we thought we could) but maze gave up
it's exit grudgingly. After an hour of feeling like an idiot Mule
stumbled on the main body of the Mumford and we made our way back to
Salty Turtle just a bit humbled by the experience.
There is no moral
to this story but there is a lesson – A Maze of Marshes are Just
That. I dined on humble pie...and rum.
Next:
The Turtle is
anchored in Bell River off Fernandian, FL. We are headed for Palm
Coast tomorrow to visit with Gigi's cousin Tom and his wife Olga,
replace a busted stereo, and finish our provisioning before heading
further South.
Fairwinds and Rum
Drinks,
Vic Copelan
PS – Don't ya
just love signs.
